Backers of pre-K education in Kentucky say it's the key to getting students off on the right foot.

But critics point to a 2022 study from Vanderbilt University that looked at thousands of students who took part in Tennessee's voluntary pre-K program.

That study found those students didn't show any improvement in their academic performance and actually moved backward in some areas.

That debate comes days after Governor Andy Beshear again called for pre-K in Kentucky.

So how does pre-K work in other states?

Our Makenzie Spink has more.

As we began tonight's legislative update.

The 2022 study out of Vanderbilt followed nearly 3000 children through sixth grade.

The study found that by third grade, children who attended the pre-K program were doing worse academically and behaviorally than the children who didn't.

The author of the study later wrote an article sharing that she thought one of the issues in Tennessee was housing the pre-K program in public schools.

Senate President Robert Stivers says he's hearing concerns from constituents within Kentucky's public school system about integrating preschool with the current K-12 system.

The need for quality daycare is not the issue, it is what quality daycare looks like, and we know it's an impediment to some people getting back into the workforce.

But when you start thinking about placing this universal pre-K with the K through 12 system, then it has a lot of logistical problems.

The recommendation from the state's pre-K for all advisory committee is a mixed service model that would use both school districts and other child care providers for preschool.

In response to the Vanderbilt study.

Democratic leaders Representative Lindsey Burke and Senator Kasey Chambers Armstrong say there's enough studies demonstrating the benefits of pre-K, illustrating that it's the right choice for Kentucky.

There have been a lot of studies that have shown if kids have access to pre-K, they're less likely to become justice involved.

If kids have access to pre-K, they have higher educational scores in third grade and in fifth grade on reading and math.

It's going to take a whole lot of evidence to convince me that from what I have seen, the pre-K is not the best thing that we can do to invest in our children and in making sure that all of our children are ready to learn the first day they enter kindergarten.

Another state with free pre-K is New Mexico.

They're secretary of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, presented to a legislative panel in October.

She says their state is seeing success with the program.

Our pre-K program has been evaluated by our legislative finance committee to find it returns a six to dollar to every dollar invested, just that.

We just got the kindergarten scores this year, 21% increase in literacy.

And I think it's a lot to this very dedicated expansion to your point of the 0 to 5 focused on children's development, in a very intentional way.

At that meeting, Co-Chair Senator Danny Carroll says New Mexico's free pre-K program isn't the right fit for Kentucky.

New Mexico's population is half the size of Kentucky's.

And the program is funded largely by its oil and gas industry.

Governor Andy Beshear, his budget request calls for a phased in approach to pre-K for all.

Over several years.

The first step securing $40.5 million in the fiscal year beginning July 2027.

In addressing critics, he said this last week at the state of the Commonwealth and Budget Address.

And for those that say pre-K for all is political.

Let me remind you, four year olds can't vote.

They're not registered.

So if you're against this because you think it gives me a win, what you're really doing is hand in these kids a loss.

Although Republican leadership maintains that there is not an appetite for universal pre-K, they are supportive of other measures to improve early childhood education.

For Kentucky edition, I'm McKenzie Spink.

Thank you much, McKenzie.

Earlier today, Republican representative DJ Johnson filed House Bill 190, which aims to expand enrollment for daycare centers by updating the square footage calculation that determines capacity.