Public schools have charge over children for 12 or 13 years. The latest "reform" in education, to add a 14th, is making its way to Kentucky. The Cincinnati Post reports:

The short-term goal is to get more low-income kids into publicly funded programs by raising the income limit for pre-K eligibility to 200 percent of the poverty level. It's currently 150 percent. That would increase the rolls by about 10,000 kids, making about half the 4-year-olds in Kentucky eligible. ....

Under existing law, Kentucky public school districts are required to provide pre-K services for every 4-year-old in a family with an income 150 percent of the poverty level, which in Kentucky is $20,650 for a family of four, and 4-year-olds with disabilities. In 2006, the income eligibility level was raised from 130 percent, which meant the state's funding rose from about $50 million to its current $75.1 million.

Perhaps Kentucky residents ought to review the work on the subject that has been done by the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute before they expand the reach of government-run schooling.