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Voters have overwhelmingly approved the reauthorization of the early childhood education initiative Pre-K 4 SA for another 20 years through the continuation of a one-eighth-cent sales tax.
In addition to operating four early education centers throughout San Antonio, Pre-K 4 SA provides professional development for community educators, connects childcare centers and aims to strengthen the whole childcare ecosystem.
Approximately 72% of voters supported the 20-year reauthorization, while 28% voted against it, according to Bexar County election results last updated at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Stakeholders gathered for an election watch party on Tuesday night, celebrating as promising early results came in. Sarah Baray, chief executive officer of Pre-K 4 SA, said it was a big night for young children and their families in San Antonio.
“We’ve very humbled to have this level of support by the community, and what it means for us — this is really the opportunity to become the first city in the country that creates an affordable, high-quality early learning system for every family in San Antonio,” Baray said.
During the Aug. 13 San Antonio City Council meeting, the council voted 7-2 to place Pre-K 4 SA on the ballot, two years earlier than expected.
Sarah Baray, the chief executive officer of Pre-K 4 SA, said the initiative is authorized under the Texas Local Government Code Chapter 379A, otherwise known as the Better Jobs Act. It allows cities to leverage local sales tax for the purpose of certain workforce development initiatives, including early childhood education.
Voters first approved the creation of the initiative with the one-eighth-cent sales tax in 2012 for an eight-year period. Pre-K 4 SA gained reauthorization for another eight years in 2020. Prior to reauthorization, Baray said the program was funded through June of 2029.
During the August council meeting, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez spoke to the measure’s early placement on the ballot.
“It’s because of the great need that our city has, the great work that Pre-K 4 SA is doing, and the confidence that I have and that many of us on council have in the program to bridge that gap, as well as the urgency of the moment that we’re in, that we’re calling on an early reauthorization so that it will grant much more stability and financial capacity to meet our community’s needs,” McKee-Rodriguez said.
Some councilmembers raised concerns about the early timeline and longer renewal period, highlighting the release of data surrounding Pre-K 4 SA’s first graduating seniors coming later this fall and a need for more information on the strategic plan.
Councilmembers Misty Spears and Marc Whyte ultimately voted against placing Pre-K 4 SA on the midterm ballot for a 20-year authorization.
Elaine Mendoza, a co-chair of the political action committee Renew Pre-K 4 SA, previously explained to Texas Public Radio how the 20-year reauthorization would better support the initiative compared to the previous eight-year authorizations.
She said the longer timeline gives its educators more stability and allows Pre-K 4 SA to work on building up its partnerships.
It also enables Pre-K 4 SA to look at better long-term structures. Two of its education centers are under leases.
“Right now, the city owns two buildings,” Mendoza said. “Will we own the other two buildings? That’s a strategy, a cost-saving strategy, but you can’t do that in eight-year chunks.”
Last year, the one-eighth-cent sales tax generated approximately $51.7 million of the program’s approximate $61 million in annual revenue, according to the PAC’s website.
Baray wants to give “an enormous thank you” to the community for their vote of confidence in the work that Pre-K 4 SA is doing, she said.
“We’re not taking our foot off the gas. There’s lots of work to be done, we know, and we’re going to get to work tomorrow and make good on our promise, so that we are providing the support to all the families with young children in San Antonio,” Baray said, “and to those that don’t yet have young children but hope to be able to do that soon, now they know that Pre-K 4 SA will be there to support them when they have their youngest children, so we’re excited about that.”
