LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Bezos Academy is opening its third preschool in Louisville's Fairdale neighborhood.
Founded by its namesake, billionaire Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, the academy is a network of tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools across the nation.
Bezos Academy covers all the operating expenses for preschool programs at no cost to the families they serve. The organization hires, trains, develops and pays educators. They also provide everything that the students will need throughout their day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
"This is a win-win situation all the way around for Fairdale and for the city of Louisville. We thank Bezos Academy for choosing our city to bring this important program to our kids," Councilman Dan Seum Jr. said.
The school will be located in Nelson Hornbeck Park. Louisville Metro Police's Traffic Unit currently operates there, but the plan is to put two classrooms inside to accommodate 40 students. Those students will then be admitted on a lottery-based system.
In March 2023, the first location of Bezos Academy was announced in the Okolona neighborhood. A second location in the Russell neighborhood was announced seven months later.
Both preschools will feature four classrooms and will follow a full-day, year-round schedule for children. The schools will accommodate up to 80 students. It's part of Bezos Academy's nationwide effort to expand services before kindergarten.
All three preschools are expected to open in 2025 after construction is complete, and will service 200 students. "We know that we're not gonna solve it all with one or two or three schools. But if we can get 200 families in Louisville who now have access to a high-quality preschool that may not have otherwise had it. To us, that is considered a win," Dr. A. Tracie Brown said at the announcement. She's superintendent for Bezos Academy.
They have 19 free early education centers for children across the country, but Kentucky could see more.
"It's been great so far to look at other sites around the community to see what other options might be available," Brown said.
The donated land comes with a 10-year promise to let the academy stay. It's part of Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's "Thrive by Five" goal of free, universal pre-K for the city.
Kentucky is the fourth state the academy operates in. The academy currently has 16 schools operating in 3 states: Washington, Texas and Florida.
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