The Covington Board of Education voted Thursday to approve a Read Ready resolution, becoming the final River City governing body to formally join the Read Ready Network and completing a major regional milestone for Northern Kentucky.
With the vote, all 12 River City governing bodies, six city governments and six school boards, representing Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow and Southgate, have formally committed to supporting the Read Ready Network’s mission of improving kindergarten readiness and early childhood outcomes throughout the region.
The milestone marks the culmination of a year-long effort to unite local governments, school districts and community partners around a shared vision for NKY’s youngest learners.
“This is a significant moment for our region,” said Cheye Calvo, CEO & President of EducateNKY. “For the first time, all six River City governments and school districts have formally aligned around a common commitment to early childhood success.
“We know kindergarten readiness is one of the strongest predictors of future academic achievement, and today’s milestone reflects a shared understanding that preparing children for success begins long before they enter a classroom.”
The movement began in July 2025 when the Newport City Commission became the first River City governing body to adopt a Read Ready resolution. Over the past year, additional cities and school districts have joined the effort, creating a coordinated network dedicated to supporting children and families from prenatal through age five.
The Read Ready Network provides a framework for collaboration among local governments, school districts, libraries, healthcare providers, nonprofits and community organizations. While each city maintains its own local leadership and priorities, the network creates shared opportunities to align resources and improve access to early learning supports.
“One year ago, these communities were working independently to address kindergarten readiness. Today, we have six Read Ready city committees meeting regularly, sharing ideas, aligning strategies and learning from one another in real time,” said Jenny Watson, Vice President of Early Learning and Family Power at EducateNKY.
“The level of collaboration we’ve built across the River Cities is remarkable. Each community is implementing place-based solutions that reflect its unique needs, but they’re doing so as part of a coordinated regional effort focused on helping more children and families thrive.”
Research shows that children who enter kindergarten prepared are more likely to read proficiently by third grade, graduate from high school and experience long-term success. Through the Read Ready Network, participating communities work together to increase awareness of early childhood resources, connect families to services and strengthen local systems that support young children.
The completion of the Read Ready Network across all six River Cities represents a first-of-its-kind regional collaboration and establishes a unified approach to early childhood success across Northern Kentucky.
To learn more about EducateNKY or Read Ready and their efforts to support early learning in the River Cities, visit educatenky.org and readreadyky.org
EducateNKY