LDG Development, Mayor Greenberg, Bezos Academy celebrate 0pening of three new Louisville preschools

Bezos Academy locations in Fairdale, Okolona, and Russell neighborhoods will provide full-day, year-round preschool at no cost to families, and offer up to 200 seats each year

Louisville, KY. – Today, LDG Development and Mayor Craig Greenberg joined Bezos Academy to celebrate the opening of three new Bezos Academy preschools in Louisville. Together these locations will have capacity for 200 3–5-year-olds per year. Located in the Fairdale, Okolona, and Russell neighborhoods, the new Bezos Academy schools will provide full-day, year-round early childhood education at no cost to families.

A fourth preschool—Bezos Academy Riverport—also developed in partnership with LDG Development, is scheduled to open in October 2026, increasing total capacity to 280 students annually.

“We are thrilled to officially open the doors to Bezos Academy schools here in Louisville,” said Mayor Greenberg. “One of my top priorities as mayor is to expand quality early childhood learning opportunities for children throughout Louisville, and this partnership gives almost 300 children access to year-round learning opportunities at no cost to families.”

Bezos Academy’s journey in Louisville began almost four years ago, after LDG Development co-founders Chris and Lisa Dischinger visited the first Bezos Academy in Des Moines Washington. Shortly after their visit, LDG and Mayor Greenberg began working to bring the full-day preschools to the community. This effort included a site visit with meetings with various community, business and civic leaders, all of whom are actively working to expand access to quality early childhood education in underserved communities and resulted in Bezos Academy announcing their expansion into Louisville with three schools that are on or near LDG communities. Efforts grew to include plans for a fourth preschool via a partnership between Bezos Academy and Louisville Metro Government through the efforts of Mayor Craig Greenberg. Last year, Mayor Greenberg launched Thrive by 5 Louisville, a nonprofit working to build a pathway to affordable, high-quality early learning for every 3- and 4-year-old in Louisville. Thrive by 5 is a long-term effort, designed to support existing early learning providers across Louisville.

”From the very beginning, this community rallied and work together to make the case on why Bezos Academy should invest in Louisville by bringing Bezos Academy to our community,” said Lisa and Chris Dischinger, co-founders of LDG Development. “Today is a celebration and example of the difference we can make when we all work together.”

“Bezos Academy believes that every child deserves access to great preschool. Research shows early education sets kids up for success in school and life. Lucky for us, Louisville’s community leaders share that belief,” said Miguel Roque, President of Bezos Academy. “Thanks to Chris and Lisa Dischinger, Mark and Barbara Lechner, Mayor Craig Greenberg and so many others, next month we’ll be welcoming children into the first three of our four preschools here in Louisville. We can’t wait to open our doors.”

Bezos Academy Louisville – Fairdale, launched in partnership with the Louisville Metro Government, will open October 7, 2025. Bezos Academy Louisville – Okolona, and Bezos Academy Louisville – Russell, both launched in partnership with LDG Development, will open on October 7 and 8, respectively.

Bezos Academy offers full-day, year-round, Montessori-inspired preschool programming for children ages 3-5. The organization covers all the operating expenses for its preschool programs at no cost to the families they serve. The organization hires, trains, develops, and pays talented educators, and provides everything that the children need during their day, including meals and snacks.

Construction of the three LDG Development/Bezos Academy preschools is being spearheaded by the Rita June Foundation—a public non-profit charity that was established by LDG to support those initiatives that help to improve outcomes in the areas of health and education and access to housing. The foundation is governed by an independent board and has raised almost $7.5 million to support the construction of the three schools. This includes The Lift a Life Foundation; CE&S Foundation, Gheens Foundation, Social Weaver Foundation, The Legacy Foundation and The J. Graham Brown Foundation.

Classes at all three preschools opening this fall are full for the 2025 – 2026 school year. Applications opened earlier this year, and students were selected through a lottery. For details on eligibility or to add your child to the waitlist, please visit www.bezosacademy.org. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level (about $128,600 per year for a family of four) with children aged 3-4 years old are eligible to apply.