By Jeff Webster, President & CEO of Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
San Antonio knows how to make long-term investments. We build roads, expand our airport, secure water supplies, and invest in utilities and infrastructure not simply for the community we have today but also for the San Antonio we expect to become. We should think about early childhood education the same way.
That is why the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce supports renewing Pre-K 4 SA and the voter-approved 1/8-cent sales tax that funds it for another 20 years.
For the business community, early childhood education is an economic and workforce issue. The children entering Pre-K today will enter our workforce in the 2040s. Giving them a strong educational foundation now helps build the skilled workforce San Antonio will need to compete for jobs and economic investments decades from now.
But the impact is also immediate. Employers know access to reliable child care directly affects whether parents can enter and remain in the workforce. It also helps businesses recruit, retain, and develop the workforce they need to grow. Investing in early childhood strengthens both ends of our workforce pipeline: the employees businesses need today and the workers our economy will depend on tomorrow.
San Antonio voters created Pre-K 4 SA in 2012 and renewed it in 2020. The Greater San Antonio Chamber supported it both times. Now voters are being asked to make a longer commitment.
Twenty years may sound like a long time. But meaningful economic development requires us to think beyond annual budgets and election cycles. We don’t build major infrastructure based only on what we will need for the next 4 years. Long-term investments require long-term certainty. Such certainty allows Pre-K 4 SA and its community partners to plan, invest in educators and facilities, build capacity, and develop partnerships that cannot be sustained through short-term funding cycles
However, a 20-year commitment should not be treated like a 20-year blank check. Public investments require transparency, responsible financial stewardship, and measurable results. Pre-K 4 SA should continue to be regularly evaluated to ensure it is delivering value to San Antonio’s children, families, employers, and taxpayers. A long-term commitment should be matched with continued accountability. We can measure the performance of an investment without repeatedly reconsidering whether the commitment itself will continue.
San Antonio is growing, and we are competing with communities across the country for employers, investments, and talent. This requires reliable infrastructure, strong schools, and a workforce prepared for the opportunities ahead. Preparing our workforce is also a long-term investment and begins with giving children a strong foundation early in life. By investing today, we can support working families and employers helping ensure San Antonio has the talent it needs to remain competitive for decades to come.
Please join the Greater San Antonio Chamber membership in supporting the renewal of Pre-K 4 SA for another 20 years.