San Antonio, TX’s Pre-K 4 SA: A November 2020 Ballot Measure Case StudyIn 2012, voters in San Antonio, TX, levied a ⅛ cent sales tax to establish a citywide early childhood education program called Pre-K 4 SA. The program offers free preschool, meals, and transportation for qualifying children, as well as a grant program and job training for teachers. The original ballot language required voters to renew the sales tax that funded the program every eight years after its passage. In March 2020, the Keep Pre-K 4 SA campaign kicked off with plans to bring the renewal vote to the ballot in May 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the state to push the election to fall 2020, which significantly altered the campaign’s timeline and strategy. The campaign adjusted to the new ballot date, and in November 2020 voters approved the reauthorization of the sales tax that will generate approximately $36 million annually for Pre-K 4 SA. Download PDF Filed under:Early Childhood, Advocates/Intermediaries, Funders, Policymakers/Agency Leaders, Publication, Voter-Approved Children’s FundsMore Resources Video Getting to the Source of State Dedicated Funding for Kids Learn how state dedicated funds can provide sustainable support for child and youth programs outside of the K-12 school day, and hear from advocates about how they successfully secured such funding in their states. Publication State Strategies for Sustained Investment in Kids: A Landscape of Dedicated Funding Learn how states have successfully created dedicated funding streams for children and youth and the strategies that advocates, policymakers, and community leaders can use to identify viable revenue options. Updates and Events Interview August 13, 2025 Funders Can Lean Into New Roles To Unlock Public Funding for Kids Interview July 30, 2025 Buell Foundation Shares Real-Time Lessons on Public Funding for Early Childhood Interview July 16, 2025 Building a Plan for Sustainable Funding for Kids—and Their Families—in Dayton, OH Close Share it! Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Click to copy URL Link Copied!
Video Getting to the Source of State Dedicated Funding for Kids Learn how state dedicated funds can provide sustainable support for child and youth programs outside of the K-12 school day, and hear from advocates about how they successfully secured such funding in their states.
Publication State Strategies for Sustained Investment in Kids: A Landscape of Dedicated Funding Learn how states have successfully created dedicated funding streams for children and youth and the strategies that advocates, policymakers, and community leaders can use to identify viable revenue options.
Interview July 30, 2025 Buell Foundation Shares Real-Time Lessons on Public Funding for Early Childhood
Interview July 16, 2025 Building a Plan for Sustainable Funding for Kids—and Their Families—in Dayton, OH