Upward Mobility Depends on Strategic Education Investment

Jan. 29, 2026
Contact: Lisa McKinney, Communications Director, The Prichard Committee
(cell) 859-475-7202
lisa@prichardcommittee.org

Statement from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence on the Kentucky House Budget 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky consistently ranks near the bottom nationally in poverty and has never risen above sixth from the bottom. The state’s budget choices today will shape Kentuckians’ opportunity for upward mobility for a generation, which is why it is crucial we get it right.

House Bill 500 marks the first formal step in the House’s consideration of the next biennial budget. HB 500 begins a process that lawmakers have indicated will be more deliberative than in the past, with agencies asked to justify priorities before budget review subcommittees.

“The process ahead is essential, and we anticipate a focus on solutions-orientation from lawmakers before the biennial budget is final,” said Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee. “Our budget analyses are grounded in a single lens: upward mobility. As filed, HB 500 contains significant cuts that raise concerns, particularly for investments most closely tied to economic mobility.”

The Prichard Committee strongly urges smart, targeted investment in an early care and education system. Sustained support for child care and preschool is essential to improving learning readiness and enabling parents to work. Leveraging state, federal, philanthropic and employer funding allows Kentucky to maximize returns in educational outcomes, workforce participation and long-term family stability.

For K-12 students, Kentucky’s budget debate comes at a pivotal moment. While the Commonwealth ranks among national leaders in high school graduation, data show a clear disconnect between graduating and being truly prepared for college and career. Targeted, high-return investments in durable skills development, strong mathematics pathways and broadened access to advanced coursework consistently produce better outcomes for students and stronger returns for Kentucky’s economy.  

To improve student outcomes, we must also preserve foundational supports like FRYSCs, preschool, and transportation that communities already rely on. These programs form the backbone of family and student supports and cannot be left vulnerable to shifting priorities.

“I believe this initial budget is an opening for strategic, evidence-based solutions in key areas that deliver measurable returns for Kentucky families, employers, schools, communities and the economy,” said Blom. “We, along with many partners across the Commonwealth, stand ready to help develop responsible, evidence-based solutions, designed for return on investment, that strengthen results for students, families and taxpayers.”

A full analysis of the House Budget will be available on prichardcommittee.org on Monday.

The Prichard Committee believes in the power and promise of public education –early childhood through college– to ensure Kentuckians’ economic and social well-being. We are a citizen-led, non-partisan, solutions-focused nonprofit, established in 1983 with a singular mission of realizing a path to a larger life for Kentuckians with education at the core.