WeLeadCS asks General Assembly to boost funding to expand virtual computer‑science academy statewide

WeLeadCS, Kentucky's virtual Computer Science Career Academy, asked the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education for additional state funding to scale its program statewide and to expand employer partnerships and paid virtual work experiences.

Alicia Sells, chief executive officer of WeLeadCS, said the program grew from 68 students in five schools to 225 students in 26 schools in one year and asked the legislature to increase the program's biennial appropriation from $3 million to $5 million (roughly $2.5 million per year) for the 2028 biennium. She told members the plan with that appropriation is to grow enrollment by 500 students (250 each year) and to expand an AI literacy course the program plans to pilot.

Sells framed the request as a workforce investment: she cited national and state data that a large share of available jobs now require digital skills and argued that scaled computer science pathways would connect students to higher‑paying jobs in industries across Kentucky. She described district cost sharing (districts pay $250 per student for dual credit courses and $500 per student for year‑long high school credit courses) and said WeLeadCS builds employer advisory boards to guide curriculum and create paid virtual internships that reduce rural access barriers.

Chris Schmidt, vice president of technology products at Fifth Third Bank, described employer demand for tech talent and private‑public internship models he has seen in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. He said companies are willing to co‑fund internships and that industry partners have seen value from investing in pipelines that produce workers with practical AI and programming skills.

Committee members sought fiscal clarity. Chairman Tipton asked whether districts could absorb the additional per‑student costs in a tight budget; Sells said the program was still early in scaling and that the per‑student fee is typically less expensive than hiring a teacher with the same skill set. Chairman Tipton also asked if businesses would provide matching support; Schmidt answered that employer partnerships in the region already share internship costs and hire program graduates in some cases.

Sells closed by thanking the General Assembly for the initial investment and offered to follow up with more detailed budget and outcome projections; the committee took no formal action on the request during the session.