Education in Kentucky is more than just hours of classroom learning with a lunch break in-between. Whether it’s early childhood education or after school programs, funding for healthy, thriving schools is more than just basic funding. Not all students come to school as prepared as their peers, creating the need for Family Resource and Youth Service Centers. And not every child starts on the same academic level, creating a need for after-school programs to catch up. Funding for these type of programs, as well as textbooks and other needs, have been lagging behind in Kentucky. We must invest in order to create thriving communities for everyone.