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Since the San Antonio City Council voted to place a 20-year renewal of Pre-K 4 SA on the November ballot, a spokesperson for Renew Pre-K 4 SA says the campaign has garnered more than $600,000 in support.
Renew Pre-K 4 SA is a political action committee (PAC) that was formed on Aug. 24 of this year. It aims to educate San Antonio voters about the positive impact its namesake initiative — Pre-K 4 SA — has in the community.
The PAC’s finance reports show that the campaign brought in $371,514.18 in political contributions between Aug. 24 and Sept. 24, as well as $127,791.98 from Sept. 25 to Oct. 24, for a total of $499,306.16. That number reflects received contributions and would not include future pledges.
The PAC’s top five donors include Charles Butt at $100,000, H-E-B at $75,000, USAA at $75,000, Carla and John Brozovich at $50,000 and Children’s Funding Accelerator at $50,000.
Renew Pre-K 4 SA has conducted voter engagement through digital advertising, direct mail, print ads and grassroots outreach.
Elaine Mendoza, one of the PAC’s tri-chairs, said that back in 2011, then-Mayor Julian Castro formed the Brainpower Task Force to strategically invest a one-eighth-cent sales tax in education. Mendoza served on that committee alongside other educators and business leaders.
The committee recognized the importance of investing in early childhood education. In 2012, voters approved using the one-eighth-cent sales tax to create Pre-K 4 SA. Voters then reauthorized Pre-K 4 SA in 2020, with 73% in support.
The current authorization is set to expire in 2029. On Aug. 13 of this year, council voted 7-2 to place Pre-K 4 SA reauthorization on the November ballot.
“Now, we’re on the ballot a little early, in 2026 instead of 2028, because council has moved it up, and then extended the authorization period to 20 years. And so, therefore, we established the PAC,” Mendoza said.
Jon Taylor, chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at The University of Texas at San Antonio, said PACs are not usually formed for local elections. In this case, he understands the PAC’s goal in spreading awareness and gaining buy-in from the community, particularly the business community.
“We know the track record’s really good in terms of measurable improvements for kindergarten readiness and performance,” Taylor said. “The criticism comes from the 20-year commitment and the lack of a strategic plan. So again, in a year where we’ve already seen tax increases by the city, by the county — will people view this as something negative?”
Taylor said the fear is that if Renew Pre-K 4 SA is not passed by June of 2029, the program goes away, and then the real question will be: “What happens to this program and to kids being served by this program if it is eliminated?”
“There are some City Council members we know who are opposed to it, arguing that basically they moved too quickly and that maybe it should have been put on the ballot for 2027 or beyond, and I get that argument as well,” Taylor said. “I think the City Council or the mayor in particular wanted to get this done, because I guess they wanted to strike while the iron was hot, with a midterm election that’s very contentious with a high turnout, that they could get enough support to get this passed.”
Mendoza said representatives of the Renew Pre-K 4 SA campaign think the data is clear about the benefits the program has delivered to the community and how it has positively impacted early childhood education overall.
“It’s an investment in the future of the workforce and really a two-for-one program,” Mendoza said. “You get your parents back, or guardians or caretakers, in the workforce while their little ones are being educated and well taken care of. And secondly, you get the youngsters that, at their most critical time of brain development, are being educated and developing a brain that is well-structured for the continuation of their learning.”
The 20-year timeline for renewal will allow Pre-K 4 SA to give its educators more stability, look at better long-term structures and expand its partnership network, Mendoza said. A lot may change over the next 20 years, but with continual focus on early childhood education, Mendoza emphasized that human capital will never become obsolete.
“So this investment in high-quality early childhood education for the ecosystem — led by Pre-K 4 SA — will never become obsolete,” she said. “We’ll never become obsolete. We need citizens that are civically engaged, can think critically, can be the people-powered intelligence. …for our future generation.”
To learn more about Renew Pre-K 4 SA, visit renewprek4sa.com.
