Telling you okay.

Believe in space.

Believe in his source.

I sit with steel.

I'm hearing his voice telling me.

Telling you.

Believe in spirit.

Believe in his source.

I sit with Steel and I'm hearing his voice.

Telling me.

Good afternoon.

The time is now 2 02 p.m.

on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in the City of San Antonio B session is now called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

Councilmember Corps.

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez.

Present.

Councilmember Via Gran.

Councilmember Mungia.

President.

Councilmember Castillo.

Councilmember Galvan.

Here.

Councilmember Alarete Gavito.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Councilmember Spears.

Councilmember White.

Mayor Jones.

Here.

Mayor, we have quorum.

Great.

Thank you.

So this meeting will hear briefings on the FY27 budgets for pre-K for SA and ready to work.

As a reminder, the reason we look at them now is because both of these budgets have to be finalized by one July.

So obviously these are some of the most investments, uh most important investments rather that we make for our community.

So appreciate the hard work that has gone into the briefings and look forward to them.

Eric, over to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council.

So as the mayor mentioned, just as a reminder, um, under state law, both the pre-K for SA and the Ready to Work programs operate on a July 1 to June 30th fiscal year.

So both Dr.

Bray and Mike will walk through the proposed budget programs and the timeline of actions between now and eventually bringing it back to the full council for for your adoption.

Um in both cases, we'll start off with Dr.

Bray.

Um Dr.

Bray is gonna obviously talk about where we're at in terms of pre-K for SA, the program, uh where um potential timelines are for future consideration by you all and the public on um extending that.

It's not too soon to start talking about some of that, and then Mike will uh walk through the um FY27 proposed budget for ready to work.

I am gonna uh have uh what Mike's gonna cover a slide there towards the end that talks about the future as he uh talks about his presentation and the proposed budget.

We are, as you know, that sales tax has transitioned to VIA as of right now.

And um the funds that we have right now uh will run through we're estimating fiscal year 30, maybe early fiscal year 30.

And so um part of today's conversation is really also to also initiate you all, you know, some of the conversation about what happens in the future um and start that now a little bit.

Um we have a couple of years, um, but as we work to develop alternatives that you may want to see, that gives us plenty of time to consider it in light of all the other financial issues that we have.

So we'll start off with Dr.

Bray.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mayor Tis Jordan Jones and members of City Council.

Thank you for allowing me to present today.

My name is Sarah Barray, and on behalf of Pre-K for SA, I am pleased to present our proposed FY27 annual operating budget and give a brief update on the work that our amazing team at Pre-K for SA has been doing on behalf of young children and families.

I'll begin with a brief review of our program history and what we've accomplished before sharing the results we're seeing on the ground.

I'll end with our financial outlook and proposed budget briefing for FY27.

Pre-K for SA was built on a simple but powerful belief that every child in San Antonio deserves a strong start, and for over for more than a decade, that belief has guided everything that we do.

Pre-K for SA was first authorized in 2012.

For nearly a decade, our work focused on one critical goal expanding access to high quality full day pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds across our city.

The results of that first authorization speak for themselves.

On access, we created 5,000 free full day pre-K seats and drove access for four-year-olds across Bear County to 70% by 2019.

We made the case for expanded state funding for full day pre-K in Texas.

On quality, our classrooms have consistently exceeded research thresholds for quality.

We've received both state and national recognition.

Our alumni performed better in math and reading on their third grade tests, and more of our partner programs now meet quality standards.

And importantly, an external research study showed that pre-K for SA generated $57 million return on investment in just eight years.

On workforce, we credentialed over 300 new early learning teachers with the Child Development Associates or CDA and established that credential as the standard for assistant teachers and teacher aids in San Antonio.

A more skilled workforce means better outcomes for children.

That first authorization laid a strong foundation, and the second authorization gave us a new challenge.

In 2021, we began our second authorization and pivoted our focus to address the significant gaps in care for young children in San Antonio's birth through age three while continuing to support access for pre-K for four-year-olds.

The need for in birth to three was and remains substantial.

When we looked at the birth to three landscape in 2021, we found three major problems.

First, affordability.

There was minimum public funding for infant and toddler care, wait lists for child care scholarships, and military families child care seats were long, and private programs were just too costly for most San Antonio families.

Second, there was uneven quality.

Quality varied widely across programs with few resources available for improvement and limited community opportunity to understand why quality matters in those first critical years.

And third, we found an underprepared and underpaid workforce.

Entry level qualifications were low, wages were chronically suppressed, benefits were minimal, and turnover was high, creating instability for children and programs alike.

These were the challenges that pre-K for SA set out to address.

Over the course of this authorization, we have moved the earth we have moved with urgency and intention.

In 2022, we began enrolling three-year-olds while ensuring four-year-olds continue to have access through to public pre-K through the school districts.

In 2023, we expanded the San Antonio Shared Service Alliance from 17 providers to 90 to support more child care providers with raising quality while also improving business sustainability.

In 24, we formalized a partnership with Joint Base San Antonio to better serve military affiliated families.

In 2025, we opened our new South Education Center and launched our infant toddler pilot program, bringing our model to the Birth to Three Age Group for the first time.

This summer we will launch a pilot summer program, and next year we will roll out a child care finder search tool to help parents navigate available child care options and help providers fill seats.

Each of these steps has been deliberate, evidence-based, and aimed at making a lasting difference for children and families.

Now let's talk about the results.

Since 2021, enrollment of three-year-olds in public pre-K across Bear County has grown by 38%.

This is almost entirely due to pre-K4SA opening its doors to three-year-olds.

Children with exceptional needs also face barriers in finding access to early learning.

And since 2021, pre-K for S pre-K for SA has seen a steady increase in child children needing additional instructional support services.

In response, we have expanded the availability of early intervention services in our classrooms.

This means that more children are getting the targeted support they need earlier when it is most impactful.

And as has been reported, JBSA has one of the longest child care wait lists in the country.

This should not be so in Military City USA.

So in 2023, pre-K4SA entered into a formal partnership with JBSA to allow us to better understand how to address this gap in access to high quality early learning for military-affiliated families.

Since then, we have seen an increase in enrollment by the number by active duty and veteran families at Pre-K for SA.

We want to ensure that there is an ample supply of high-quality early learning for our families who serve.

In an upcoming slide, you will see that we are joined in this effort by partners across the community.

From the start, external evaluation has been a core part of how pre-K for SA measures program effectiveness.

And what that research shows is that while one year of pre-K is powerful, two years is even better.

Pre-K for SA are children are entering kindergarten more than ready.

This isn't just good for families.

It's good for our schools, our workforce pipeline, and our city's long-term economic future.

We know that children thrive best when families have the resources they need.

In recent years, we've noticed an increase in families experiencing instability factors.

That's why we introduced our family success plan, which is a customized high-touch support that goes beyond referrals.

We walk alongside families to identify needs, navigate outcomes, and stay we stay connected with the families every step of the way.

So far in FY26, we have developed 173 family success plans.

The top five instability factors we're helping families navigate are housing, food insecurity, family safety, transportation, and employment.

We do not have expertise in these areas, so we help our families connect to services within the city, including ready to work, health and human services, metro health, and neighborhoods and housing.

We're also leveraging community partnerships with the San Antonio Food Bank, Opportunity Home, and the Family Violence Prevention Services.

One of our most significant system building efforts is the San Antonio Shared Services Alliance.

This network currently includes 90 providers, 92% of which are located in child care deserts, the communities where access is hardest and need is greatest.

Through the alliance, we have provided over 18,000 hours of professional learning, helped alliance members realize over 146,000 in additional revenue, resources that flow back into better care, including an $11,000 annual salary increase for the teachers.

We've provided 246 educators with CDA credentialing, and we have identified and are supporting 4,700 military accredited seats across the community.

Altogether, 4,888 children and their families are benefiting from the alliance.

This is how we move the whole system forward, which is really the secret sauce of pre-K4SA.

It has never been just about our four schools, it's about the entire ecosystem.

As we look into the future, there's an important milestone on the horizon.

Sales tax collection for pre-K4SA is set to end on March 31st, 2029.

Program funding runs through June 30, 2029.

For pre-K for SA to continue its work, we will need to be reauthorized by November 28, 2028.

Under the statute that governs our program, pre-K4SA may be reauthorized for up to 20 years.

The decisions made in the next two to three years will shape the trajectory of early childhood education in San Antonio for the next generation.

We look forward to that conversation with council and with our community.

Now let me turn to the financial picture for FY 2027.

Pre K4SA is funded through an eighth dedicated eight cent sales tax.

Revenue is projected to grow modestly over the life of the current authorization.

In 2025, we collected 51.7 million dollars in sales tax.

We project $52 million to close at FY26, $53.4 million in 27, and 54.7 and 56.3 million in 28 and 29, respectively.

This steady predictable revenue stream allows us to plan responsibly and invest strategically.

Looking at our financial forecast in FY25, we ended with a beginning balance of 14.5 million, revenues of 55.4 million, and expenditures of 61.2 million, resulting in an ending balance of 8.8 million.

We estimate that at the end of FY26, we will have projected revenues of 57.5.7 million in expenditures, closing with a $7 million fund balance.

In FY27, which we are proposing, we believe we'll have revenues of $58.9 million with expenditures of $62.3 million, ending with a $3.6 million fund balance.

Through FY28 and 29, we project a responsible downward draw of our fund balance to close out this authorization.

This forecast reflects discipline financial management, drawing down reserves intentionally through the end of the authorization while maintaining full operations.

With a breakdown as follows.

Most of that is in personnel service, over 39 million dollars, the largest investment, which reflects our commitment to a high quality, well-compensated workforce.

We also have contractual services in just over 17 million, which covers community partnerships and program operate operations, including food service, transportation, curriculum, and other services.

We have commodities of 1.3 million, self-insurance and other expenditures at 3.2, capital outlay at just over 120,000 and indirect costs at 1.4 million dollars.

And personnel are the majority of our budget, always are because there are people are at the heart of what we do.

Speaking of people, our proposed personnel complement for FY27 remains unchanged from FY26 with 502 positions.

We are maintaining our current staffing levels with no net new positions, and this reflects our commitment to operational stability while continuing to deliver a high quality program at all in all program areas.

In closing, pre-K4SA has served San Antonio's children and families for over a decade.

We've expanded access, improved quality, built workforce capacity, and created systems that extend our impact far beyond our own four schools.

The FYA 2027 proposed budget sustains that work responsibly, strategically, and in full alignment, full alignment with the trust of the voters.

We are proud of what this community has built together, and we are committed to ensuring that every dollar is spent in the service of San Antonio's youngest and most important resource.

It's children.

I'm happy to answer questions that you may have.

And finally, want to remind you that tomorrow is the Grassi executaus uh children are citizens uh exhibit that opens at the South Center and the online auction will begin in case you want a new art piece.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Wright.

I think we'll go ahead and take a second uh presentation as well and then go around for questions.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to be before you today.

Um, as we talk about the budget for fiscal year 27 for ready to work, we love to start by highlighting our participants.

Um, this is why we do this work every day, while our partners do this work every day.

Melissa Klein Miles, he's being served by Hallmark University.

Um, she has been employed by Methodist Healthcare.

And as a single mother of three, Melissa said that going back to school felt overwhelming.

While studying at Hallmark, she learned about the Ready to Work program and was able to gain access to case management support services to support her on our journey.

Um her quote is I needed to stay focused and keep pushing even when life got heavy, Malicia said.

Now I've earned my degree and secured my dream as a role as a psych ICU registered nurse with Methodist Healthcare.

I'm proud to close my bartending chapter and step into the career I've worked so hard for.

Melissa went from earning two 13 per hour plus tips as a bartender to more than $30 an hour in her current role.

So where are we now?

So as of March 30th, we had over 15,000 individuals enrolled in training, roughly another 1,917 to be exact, were eligible in creating their education and training plans.

Each ready to work participant is assessed at the beginning, and an education and training plan is created by our partners to help them on their journeys.

About 4,700 are still in training right now.

6,502 successfully completed their training, about 2100 in job search, and 4358 as of March 30th, we're in an approved job through ready to work, about a 62% successful training completion rate, and a 60% rate of placement within six months, and 73% within 12 months.

The program is gaining momentum.

Um, it's increasing our training completion rate has gone from 97 training completors or program graduates per month over roughly the first three years of the program.

So over the last 12 months, about 258 training program completers per month, about 166% increase.

Um, the same goes for job placements.

We're averaging about 56 approved job places per month over roughly the first three years.

And we're right at 200 job placements over the last 12 months, a 255% increase in that job placement volume.

Intakes have gone up 11%, and enrollment and training numbers have increased by 20% over those same time comparisons.

So our ROI study, um, Dr.

Niven is here.

Dr.

Niven conducted this ROI study and has some phenomenal key findings that an 11.8 billion dollar total impact over the working careers of those individuals that have been impacted by ready to work through October of 2025.

At that time, we had about 11,592 participants, about 4,000 training completors, and just under 2900 had had approved jobs at that point in time.

The bulk of that economic impact comes from the increased incomes directly into the participant households of $7.5 billion.

For every dollar spent, there's a $125 return in total investment.

So our FY27 proposed budget assumptions.

Um the on-the-job training program funding is not included in the pro budget for FY27.

We'll re-evaluate that in um local uh as local market conditions shift in future years.

Um, workforce solutions Alamo implementation transition.

Um, their service levels are being reduced strategically by 50% for intake and case management.

Um, employer-led cohort training is the most efficient way to get individuals on track into an approved job quickly.

Um, as the workforce development board serves as the hub for Texas fame, um, one of the most effective workforce training programs that exist in the city of San Antonio.

Want them to take that model and replicate it in other industry sectors that it continues to grow in the advanced manufacturing sector.

If we can get more aligned with what the employers are looking for in a shorter period of time, that will assist us as ready to work funding is exhausted and we shift into the new environment.

Restore education contract amended, increasing for better capacity for increased capacity to finish out their six-year agreement with the city.

So our proposed budget for FY27, roughly half of it, 50% is for tuition.

21% for wraparound support and case management for our participants, 10% for intake and initial assessments, 5% going to emergency assistance funding for our participants, and uh three two percent, I'm sorry, for child care.

Um that's extremely important.

We want to make sure that our participants have access to child care funding if they're on that state wait list and they're in ready to work.

Um we have funding available to help assist the cost of child care to ensure they can get across the training finish line.

So projected participants served in FY27.

We're anticipate about 6,773 completing the intake and assessment process, 4730 enrolling and training and 3800 plus training completors, and 2410 approved job placements in fiscal year 27.

Um that'll get us closer to our overall goals.

Um we plan to hit that 39,000 goal of intake and assessments completed by November of 27.

By May of 28, our 28,000 enrolled and training target, and by the spring of 2030, or 15,600 approved job placements.

Our proposed budget for FY27 is 42.8 million.

It's the apex or the height of budget for for ready to work.

Um we have roughly around 126 million to spend over the sunset of the program with 41.6 million in 28 as we begin to scale back, and 23.5 million in FY29, and we close the program out in FY2030 with an 18.2 million dollar budget.

Today we're approving the FY proposing um the FY27 budget for 42.8 million.

Future program and budget considerations in FY27.

Again, the pinnacle for service levels within the program.

Program enrollment will cease in fiscal year 29, and all trainings will be completed by January of 2030.

Sales tax funding will be fully expensive by FY30.

Participants will be supported through job placement completion of training programs and participants unplaced at that time will be assisted through community resources.

Um stakeholder input, such as through our advisory board, our chair Ben Peavy is here today.

Thank you, Ben, for being here.

Um, they're providing us input, but we also need your input as our elected officials to determine the future of workforce offerings beyond fiscal year 2030.

Let me let me just add one other piece.

I talked a little bit about this at the beginning of the intro, and um we want to be able to just put a marker on the table here because for context purposes, prior to ready to work, the city spent uh roughly about two million dollars a year in workforce, primarily through Project Quest.

Um, and so a lot has changed over time, and I know that there's uh obviously we'll have some conversation today.

There are a number of years left in ready to work, but um you know the the strategic conversation that you all should have about what should exist um after 2030 or beginning in 2030 or 2031, um can start now, right?

Um because we some of the some of the feedback we hear from you now as we go through budget adoption with ready to work gives us an idea of things that we can start planning for as we do this a couple of more times with the council in terms of the adoption of the budget.

So it's really more just kind of a strategic point that we're placing on the on the table and asking for some thought about um big picture.

What what would be things that you would like to see or how would you like us to uh position ourselves to to have that conversation in the future?

Thank you.

Our cops metro leaders are here.

Um we're extremely proud of their support for ready to work, and they have been since the beginning.

Um, they're gonna be assisting us ongoing through helping to ensure that our coaches and case managers are well trained in May.

They're gonna help us to make sure they understand some of the principles that they've learned over 30 plus years and working with workforce development here in San Antonio.

So our B session briefing today, and then we have our pre-K for SA board approval as our next step on April the 28th, and then a session before full council on May the 7th.

That concludes our presentation.

Thanks, Mike.

Um, I will actually go ahead.

We'll we'll just start with you, Mike, with ready to work.

Thanks.

As I shared yesterday, I did a night tour with Toyota yesterday and really thought about both of these topics in the course of my conversation, engaging with both Frank and the team, but also with the workers that I engaged with.

And they've got a couple of ready to work folks, not many, to be frank, as as Frank shared.

No pun intended.

Of course, the child care piece came up as we look at in particular the needs of our second shift folks and how they have one facility over there that sounds like it opens at 5 30 a.m.

but closes at 6.

And so as they look to make sure they've got the widest pool of talent for that second shift, child care is something that they are focused on, but obviously we can be we can be helpful in that regard.

On the ready to work piece, and I certainly appreciate Dr.

Nevin's uh analysis.

Dr.

Nevin, we hope you're taking all your vitamins and getting all your sleep because uh you write sounds like 95% of our economic analysis analysis reports for the for the city here.

Um and uh so I appreciated those numbers, and I don't think there's um any uh you're gonna get any pushback here in terms of you know the good work that you have done.

I think the question always that's top of mind for us is are we doing this as best possible as best able, right?

And so um I've got a couple of questions um in that regard, Mike, and and just to level set, so 235 million was the total budget for this, right?

This year we're talking about 42.8 million, um, and so then we'll have about 130 million left overall.

Okay.

Um, and I appreciate also I we've had a couple of conversations just again in the 10 months I've been in the seat, but even necking down this list.

But it sounds like we're still at 58, 58 occupations that people can can select from.

Correct.

Um, what would be helpful for me is to understand at the how we can how we explain again to Mrs.

Martinez, hey, at the end of this fiscal year for FY27, if you were to invest at the community invest 42.8 million, we anticipate getting X number of electricians, X number of plumbers, X number.

I mean, I'll be honest with you though, I I'd be very interested to see how many of these occupations will have zero, right?

I don't I'm guessing you're not having just a ton of success growing financial managers.

Um right.

Um, and and I would also question you know, chefs and head cooks if that's something that actually needs to be on on this list.

So um would welcome your again follow-up and understanding of of what we can expl explain to folks, not just you know, again, people, number of people going through the program having been placed, but what are actually the needs that we think we are going to fill in our community?

I think it's also um important that we're being as judicious as we possibly can with these with these resources as a military veteran.

I certainly appreciate the way in which this program supports our veterans to include veterans that don't even live in the city, they live in the county.

Um, and it sounds like we don't actually take into account the wages that they make when accounting for whether they should participate in this program.

So um understanding that our military veterans thankfully have access to something like the GI Bill.

I really question whether San Antonio taxpayers should be funding their ability to participate in the ready to work program, or if there's not some kind of reimbursement that we might want to explore as part of that.

As you as you mentioned, we have very limited dollars here for this program.

And if others have another avenue, other set of resources to get this training that certainly they deserve, then I think they need to explore that so we can invest um in our folks as best able.

Do we uh I'll let you if you have any comments on that part, welcome.

Yeah, no, absolutely.

Um thank you for pointing that out, Mayor.

Um, we definitely want to try to live up to our name as Military City USA, which is why we extended that option to our transitioning veterans, uh, our transitioning active duty members into civilian um life to be able to participate and ready to work without their current active duty income impacting their eligibility.

Um, outside of covering tuition, it's the wraparound supports.

Um, we know that our veterans um, as they make that transition into civilian life, need as much support as they can get in order to make sure that they can transition well and secure a good paying job.

The wraparound supports provided by our coaches and case managers is what I believe the better benefit is for those participants, and uh we can look at shifting away from some of the tuition funding if their GI Bill is covered that.

Well, I mean, as you and I both know, right?

It's our military veterans, they they have that transition service even while they're in the service.

So they'll have that transition service on their way out, they'll have it on the way out on on the other side of that as well.

And so again, I just don't want us to the the city to be subsidizing something that again our veterans um are able to access elsewhere, and there's a certain a different pot of money that they can tap into and is uniquely um suited and care and takes into account the unique needs as you point out of veterans.

So um I'd appreciate understanding if we were to not provide these or look at some reimbursement model for our veterans, what that might look like and how much more money then we could keep in the cent in the SA in the ready to work program for other for for our residents.

Okay.

Um my concern is what as well when when I look at this, and and I appreciated the the briefing that I had, the pre-brief that I had with with Alex.

Um it looks like in FY25, we set aside six million dollars um to pay companies to take our graduates.

Is that right?

Do I have that number right?

Close.

Uh three million for incumbent worker training and three million for on-the-job training.

On the job training is a new hires of ready work participants.

Okay.

So of the six million though, um, we were only able to spend one million.

Is that right?

That's correct for FY26.

Okay.

So my my concern is if we have an opportunity to pay people to take our graduates, six million worth, and we are only able to spend one million.

That man's we that mean, I mean, to put it bluntly, it's almost like we can't pay folks to take our graduates.

That's one way to look at it.

That's one way to look at it, and that's unfortunately how I'm looking at it.

So I really want to make sure that we're being as tight as we can be with what the community needs, what we are actually producing, and being realistic with what these folks are going to enter into.

Because for us, you know, number of participants, number of applicants, but then in an approved job, right?

And we can't pay people to take these folks.

We might need to look at a different approach, other than the 58 that we've got on here.

Um I would argue, and this is informed by not only your data, but um frankly, recent trip to Taiwan, where in terms of let's be real focused on on the skills that we need, and that we we we there's lots of reporting about unfortunately the the real delta that we have in in trade skills, right?

Our plumbers, our electricians, our our welders, and I know they're on the list, and that's great.

I think maybe a more focused approach that allows us to communicate, hey, we're gonna focus on these dozen things.

And if this is not something that you're interested in, understood.

This might not be the program for you, but when we're talking about San Antonio tax dollars, right, and we've got real gaps in the workforce, how we can best aim to fill those, I is is what I think we owe not only the the people that are entrusting us with their time and energies as they go through this program, but certainly with the taxpayer.

Um pre-K for SA.

Mayor, can I before you change gear?

So I I think it's important to share some context.

We don't that program that you're describing was in this year's budget and is not in next year's proposed budget.

I mean, and and I think it's probably worth some context here that um each year we did that.

Um, and this is all an experiment because this is not a core city function, right?

Um each year we did that, we we attached more requirements to companies that participated in those programs.

And and part of the requirement in 26, which was new, was that it couldn't be open-ended, it had to be ready to work graduates.

So as we as we a year ago, as we sat here, we we were estimating what type of activity.

Obviously, um we didn't spend as much as we budgeted, or we we estimated, and that's one of the reasons why that's not included in the FY27 budget.

But but I'm not sure, and I loud and clear the message about too many or or or maybe too many occupations or the wrong occupations, but I don't I think that's a separate issue that is frankly a pertinent one, but not really tied to the fact that we only spent a million out of the six.

I mean, we didn't know what we what we didn't know last year, and and thankfully we didn't spend it.

We've got five million dollars left over that we're reprogramming in 27.

So I mean, I just I just wanted to provide a little bit of context there.

Yeah, and I think they're two separate issues.

Um I think the fact that we had money to help people take our folks and we couldn't spend it because they didn't want those folks, that's one thing.

And on top of, are we training folks for the right things?

You're right, those are two separate issues.

The folks, I think the better way to describe it is they entered into an agreement with the city saying that they wanted to hire a certain number of people.

Their high needs shifted.

Many of the companies are reporting that their hiring was flat in FY26, they didn't have as many anticipated vacancies as they thought they were gonna have.

It wasn't primarily that they just didn't want to hire rated work participants.

We had over 2,000 employers that are hiring rated work participants.

And and nevertheless, whether it is hiring stale or or how you're describing it, mayor, it's not in the 27 budget.

Correct.

We're just we're shifting and we're putting money into those programs that we do know that we're yeah, and no, and I'm thankful that we are um adjusting accordingly.

Um but I think that in looking at that what happened that last budget, I think it is important that we account for that to understand why it's not there.

Um so thank you for the explanation.

You're welcome.

Of the one million that was spent though, just for context, uh Mike got an additional follow-on.

It would be helpful to understand who who took the million.

Absolutely.

Thank you, appreciate that.

Um Dr.

Bray, it sounds like this is a very exciting year.

Um, as Alex mentioned, this is the the first graduating year for our pre-K for SA folks.

Is that right?

No, they're juniors and juniors, yeah.

Okay, Alex says seniors.

So I know I have to do the counting, but they're juniors this year.

Yeah, well, um, all that to say it sounds like we've got more time then to make sure we've got a fitting um graduation for those folks.

It's very exciting.

Um and hopefully are now putting in kind of structures in place to understand you know where these folks are going, right?

Um I know obviously the the systems we had in place when they entered are um weren't as as robust to track it as as well as we are tracking kind of their trajectory now, but as best able, I think to be able to share to explain the community this um very um um not only generous, but I think you know folks want to see uh and and hear about how these folks are doing.

So that'd be very important.

We do we do have a out a long-term outcome studying coming out later.

Our external evaluators are working on that right now.

So we should know how our children have done through um the first years of high school.

Great, thank you.

The um on slide nine.

Um this is another area where um I think we are all committed to to meeting our responsibility as as militaries to the USA.

Um when we look at when we don't have endless resources, however, and we want to make sure that we are as best able prioritizing the kids that are very likely to be here for their entire childhood.

Um, you know, when I when I looked at when um as Alex shared, 17% it sounds like of the student population are our military youth.

Um, as as you know, a high percentage of those folks may not remain in the community, right?

They'll they'll travel, obviously, as their parent moves from station to station.

Um I would welcome then understanding how we could better prioritize San Antonio kids.

Yeah, I don't know what the answer is, but that is for me a priority.

It sounds like on the wait list, there aren't any military kids on the wait list.

And this is um, and I'm glad that the conversation has started with the DoD because what what as a result of them not having sufficient CDC seats, that is now us taking on the burden.

Yeah.

Well, sort of so our definition of military-affiliated families include not just active duty who have access, but also veterans.

We have many veterans with young children or grandparent veterans that are raising young children who actually do live in San Antonio and likely will stay here.

And so those numbers include that broader definition because those families don't have access to the DODs um CDC, and yet they many of them have very low incomes.

And so that's really that, and then we could break down what what number active duty and what number are what we would call extended military and reservists who and and most of them actually are very low income, so they are meeting that that definition of who our primary uh family focus is.

And you know, and that distinction is that I think is helpful because when you're talking about a kid or a grandkid of a veteran that lives in the community, that's much different than somebody who may very well only be here two or three years.

So understanding that distinction is is important, thank you.

Because to your point, that family might not have all the other wraparound services that that active duty military kid most absolutely has.

So if I may, yeah.

So part of our um in working with our providers across the community who are now part of the military child care in your neighborhood program, our focus is to get them the revenue that would come from enrolling active duty.

So that's really um part of the shifting more of them into the community providers because that brings revenue to our partner providers as well.

So it is part of kind of how we're headed and trying to make sure that we're able to maximize those federal dollars that come into our community.

Appreciate that.

Thank you, Dr.

Bray.

Of the uh the kids though that are of the um uh from active duty and military families, I I would appreciate us understanding um the if we've got that cost structure about right, um, because again, those kids they've got insurance, right?

They don't have some of the other challenges that some of our San Antonio pre-K for SA kids are going to have.

So I I want to make sure that we're best balancing that.

So welcome follow-up information on that.

Thank you.

Um as I saw on the ready to work list, one of the the um career fields is is child care.

So may I ask what percentage of of your workforce are ready to work graduates?

Well, that so that's a little hard to say because we're actually enrolling our employees into ready to work so that they can earn um advanced degrees.

And so they were pre-K for SA employees first, and then they went into ready to work more and and being able to help them advance from that high school diploma into having an associates or uh actual teaching credential.

But I don't know the exact number, but we have been working with Mike and his team to create a cohort of our assistant teacher and teacher aids to be able to go together into um uh a program so that they can complete because we know that cohort models are more successful, particularly when you're working full-time and doing those, um, having all those other challenges.

So it's um that's we're and we have and Mike has been great um having ready to work Wednesdays at our centers to help our families get in as well.

And so we we are working really closely together, both for our families and for our own um employees.

I appreciate that.

Thank you for um for that because I don't think most folks make the connection that some of the current employees may actually be utilizing this this program.

So um appreciate additional information on on how that's being utilized.

Slide nine um as well, when we're talking about the ear the children receiving early intervention services, um, you know, as we are anticipating and and continuing to see reductions in in head start, unfortunately.

I I'd welcome understanding how your planning is and and the assumptions that you all are revisiting or taking into account those federal reductions and one of the growth in general in kids, as as frankly folks are less able to say whether or not they want to have children, um, but also now kids having more special needs.

So, what does that look like for your plan?

Yeah.

So we have never set out intentionally to serve children with exceptional needs.

We're open to everybody, but what we have seen is this increase, and especially since the pandemic in children who um have indications of of early developmental delays.

Um and so we are that's why we've expanded the services.

We don't know whether there's actually an increase in the population, it's too early to tell, or whether it's word of mouth that families know they can come to pre-K for SA and get those early intervention services.

Many of our families that come in and ultimately their children need those services, have no idea because they have not had access to those kinds of testing and the medical information, and so that's a huge part of what we do is help the families understand that early intervention matters, and if they're going to need continue to need special education services in the future, um, that we will we partner with the school districts to make sure they're all set up.

In terms of Head Start, Head Start children are also eligible for pre-K for SA.

So as you know, as we may see reductions in Head Start, then that would mean that we would need to look more carefully at what where those families are, and um they would you know put prioritizing them because they have the greatest need because that's always the way we do enrollment is looking at the lowest income families, children in the foster care system, children um who are unhoused, those are priority areas for us.

Great.

Um I mean, really, you know, dugtailing off of the comments that that Eric made at the very beginning is how we think about these both of these programs, right?

Beyond um uh the current duration, um and a lot of that is shaped by things outside of our control, right?

These things these changes in um in in federal uh expenditures uh but also just laws that are frankly causing other things to happen in our community.

I'll just I'll just leave it there.

So understanding kind of what y'all's assumptions are about how the group the program may grow in a way that you haven't in just these these decade and a half or so um is really helpful to for us to understand.

But thank you for for laying all of that out.

Thank you.

Councilman Viegadon.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right, we'll start with uh pre-K for SA.

Uh I continue to support the educational investment for pre-K for SA, and y'all can go back to slide number nine.

Um so when we talk about the exceptional needs and the early intervention, I do want to stress that from birth and I know we're moving because I've got the pre-K for SA in mind from birth to three, is I think and big picture, Eric, that you asked, as we look at that, if we notice that the problem coming through that birth through three, maybe we move them over into a district school that has a pre-K program because we can we understand that if they're in a district school, whether it be Harlandale, SAISD, I'm I'm thinking of mine Southside, East Central, they can follow them throughout their career with that disability uh or are that special need that they have.

So I really want us to, I think as we look in the future, that's how we work with our school districts.

That's how we work when we identify that because what we're going to see as you take birth to three is that some of those development challenges happen.

We can for some it's going to manifest sooner than three years old.

So I'm I'm um I'm excited about the early intervention where you've seen that, and then also if if we get them in pre-K3 and we see them in three, and you know one of the school districts has a program that will follow them into helping it meet those needs, speech impediments too, as as a former educator.

I remember it was like that the sooner we get them into speech class, the better it is for them.

So I look forward to that.

Um there is another slide that talked about the um the top instability factors.

Um do we have an idea of how many drop out of the program due to the instability factors, and do we identify what the instability factors are, whether it is housing, family safety, employment?

Yes, so our family team works very closely with the family too because and what we what typically the way this typically comes out is there is one issue, and as we sit down with a family to have a conversation, it might be the child has been absent and we find out you know there's lack of transportation or food insecurity.

We that so we sit down with them and we have a very um conversation, a deep conversation with them about what's what's going on, what are you trying, you know, what are you struggling with, what are the things that we can help with, and we create a plan that is very high touch, individualized, intensive to help support them, and we help them think about what's first like what do you need, what is the first step and get them connected.

As I say, it's not just saying, Oh, there's somebody over at the food bank that can get you food.

We go with them, we connect them, we're helping with them, we follow up with them because we know it's hard to juggle all the pieces.

So yeah, and so with that, um if we could get the data as that happens with the housing and in the employment in particular, so we can try and identify as we move to ready to work uh what sort of jobs we might need.

I think that would be key.

In terms of the family safety, there are programs, and I'm hoping some of them will continue if they are um victims of violent crime.

And so I think that that is key as we move forward to make sure that we're we are working in conjunction with the um, especially if it's domestic violence, that we're working with the police and their team, their their crisis intervention team to make sure that they're getting the resources that they need because that's the one where I could see if it's public safety and it's domestic violence, and we have to move them, they have to move out of town where we need to keep track of that also as we start to continue to do studies on the status of women and the status of girls in San Antonio.

So thank you for the presentation.

Um I think those were my big picture kind of looks, uh, Eric for pre-K for essay and um Mike.

I think you're up next.

Uh you don't have to stand right now.

I'll bring you up when I need uh you because I think I could give your speech because I've heard it so many times.

Um as chair of the economic and workforce development committee, you know that I've been committed to this, I've seen different iterations.

We've had this come to EWDC.

I've I've sat on this that committee since um 2021, proud to chair it.

Um I think the one thing we've continued to communicate is partnership.

Partnerships between those that are doing the job training, the employers, and um our team here at the city.

And I think part of it is to continue to be fiscally responsible regarding the investments made on the individuals that are part of the ready to work program, and then how we get the return on investment.

The one thing I do want to stress when we talk about San Antonio and we talk about the communities in particular, is that this return of investment truly is um it's a San Antonio, it's San Antonio unique.

It truly is there is no model, I think that is the San Antonio model.

Whether you go from the South Side to the West Side to the East Side to the North Side, the different personalities and within the South Side alone, you can find like six different neighborhood styles and personalities.

There I I guess the earth, I don't want to say you could compare it to Chicago, but I feel like you could compare it to Chicago because um uh and history lesson, a lot of the migrant workers that came through Texas ended up in Chicago.

So I feel like personality-wise, we're a lot like that.

And um we need to make sure that we understand that selling them something coming out into the community.

This has been this has not been the easiest sell for us.

They understand that they understand what it is to work, uh construction, but with ready to work, we're trying to give them all the options and see where they want ahead too.

And so they do look a little suspiciously.

But I'm I'm very proud of what we've done so far and the pivots we've made, and I'm proud of my current committee and their dedication to make sure that we get the city of San Antonio residents employed.

I think one thing as we move forward is not only do you have the different personalities, but you see these different emerging generations and the patterns.

And I was at Trinity for their presentation on a uh policymakers' breakfast about the different personalities and how it is to manage them.

So that's also now what we have.

We have a generation that's hitting 16 that came out of the pandemic, and they want to do group projects and they want to do things by the phone, and I'm not by the phone text message.

They don't want to pick up the phone and talk to people.

So how do we how do we look at that and work with the employer on how we make sure we get them ready for the workforce and to be successful?

So in terms of big uh picture, I think we need to look at this, we need to look at those studies and how we include that as we move forward.

I think we need to understand as we look at industries is yes, I'm very proud of our title military city USA, and we haven't had a broad closure, but Army North and South are gone.

And what do we do now?

What do we have now?

And that is what we need to look at, and that is what I need the employers to understand is that we have a generation of employees coming up, we have personalities that were used to the military job.

That's not there anymore, and we could possibly face base closures or realignments.

So, what do we do?

How do we diversify this economy?

How do we make this a place that other businesses want to come to?

And that only happens if we invest not only in our infrastructure, but if we invest in our people, and I said I think that's what ready to work does.

I think in terms of big picture, Eric, is that what we need to look at is personality-wise, what we have to offer to employers where they know that they're that their employees are they don't have to bring their employees from out of state, or they don't have to do the recruiting, they're willing to be flexible here and get the training that they need to do these jobs.

So I look forward to the boards, all their hard work and all of the providers that are here that pro to train the employees.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but I think these are these are lean times, but we'll get through them, and um, and we just need to continue to pivot and use our voices to make sure we do it.

So thank you.

Councilman Alterte Gavito.

Thank you.

Um, I'll start with pre-K for essay.

Thank you.

Um Sarah.

Uh well, first off, I'm gonna just compliment obviously I I think the world of you, and then you have Brad on your team too.

So yeah, you have a phenomenal team.

Um, you know, pre-K for SA has been a great initiative.

I remember campaigning for it, you know, when we did um, and so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the long-term results as the earliest users.

So you said that they're juniors now, right?

Yes.

So then when can we expect that first report with all of how they did?

So we had the first report in 2019, which was uh when our cohort was third graders, and then later this year we'll have the long term for what's happened since then.

Okay, so by the end of the year, yeah, but yeah, they're working on it now.

Okay, yeah, because we're definitely um ready to see it.

And I couldn't remember um, I I meant to go look back because I remember when um then Mayor Castro was pushing this.

I I believe it first it was an initiative that was just supposed to start in the city and then be handed off somewhere else.

Is that correct?

I can't remember the campaign problems.

I've not seen that now.

Oh, okay.

Uh from what I am recalling, but you know, I don't take my word on this.

I thought it was a something that the city was going to start, which it needed to start, you know.

I think it was a very noble mission, but that it was to be handed off to either nonprofit or someone else to to do further.

Um, I had some some other questions.

What um how do our pre-K for SA numbers compare to children who do not sorry, I'm sorry, referencing slide 10.

How do these numbers compare to children who do not attend pre-K4SA?

So our so in San Antonio, slide 10.

So in San Antonio, about um at the highest, 60 percent of children were kind, um, but more recent years it's been 52 percent.

Um but more recent years it's been 52 percent.

Um so our children tend to outperform on average the the city's average.

Okay, but there are programs, obviously, different schools have different outcomes, but uh but by and large, the city's kindergarten readiness has um been about 52 percent over the last couple years.

Okay, sounds good.

Um on slide 12, the San Antonio Shared Service Alliance.

Do does pre-K4SA collaborate with Early Matters and and what and if so, what does that look like?

Yeah, so Early Matters is an advocacy organization, and they have helped to bring together a group of about 90 of us to create an early learning plan for San Antonio, and so pre-K4SA is heavily involved in that.

For a while, I was leading the access to quality subgroup, John Green Otero, who's our chief of innovation is now leading that one.

Larissa Wilkinson, who's our deputy CEO is leading the career pathways, and then I serve on um as a one of the the partners that is advice with the advisory board um helping to determine what's next and and kind of give guidance to that.

But they're we're closely aligned.

Got it.

Yeah, sounds like sounds like that.

So on site seven, I and you mentioned that there y'all are gonna create a family search tool that's being launched in 2027.

We know because in our meeting with Early Matters San Antonio, they're also working on a search tool, and then the Texas Workforce Commission also has their own search tool.

So how are these search tools gonna be different?

How are they?

So actually the early matter search tool is pre-K search tool.

So we started working on that, and then it became part of the plan, and so it is part of the the overall plan, and so certainly we're working on that in terms of the one that's at the state level, it does not have the functionality that we need here, and in fact, we've asked for that, and the state said we don't have the capacity, won't have it yet.

So we're gonna start here, and we hope the state we're actually ended up awarding the contract to the state to the same vendor that the state is using.

And so we hope that our tool will lead to the state adopting a more rigorous tool that's more beneficial for families and providers.

Sounds good.

Thank you for that clarification.

So are there any contingency planning happening in the instance voters do not approve the program in the future?

Yeah, so at this point in an authorization, just like last time, we're both preparing to continue on, and then what are the possibilities?

What would happen if we were not reauthorized?

Um and so we will and and that obviously without the funding, we could not continue in the same way that we are now.

It would be a tremendous loss for the community, but um there are possibilities that some aspects of the program could continue, but it would not be it would be less accessible to the greater to the families with the greatest need because they don't have the money to pay um for child care.

Yeah, that that makes sense.

But what are we doing now though to to diversify your funding sources or pre-K for SA's funding sources?

So part of it we have been um looking at, you know, we've looked at grant funding a little bit, we've been working some with foundations, but I think what has made pre-K forSA so successful is that we have the local sales tax base, right?

Because it's um sustainable, it's reliable, it's what has made this possible, and so um without that funding, we would cease to exist in in the form that we know it now.

We couldn't replace that money with foundations or that just wouldn't, and and again, if you this is part of what makes child i childcare so challenging is the cost then gets shifted to families, which they cannot afford.

So with that, and and I I want you to help me explain this, you know, because it's it's been raised to uh to me a couple of times when people just do the simple math of it takes you all um y'all's operating budget of around 62 million and you divide that by 2,328 students, that's around a 26 close to 27,000 education per student, which is higher than most of our private schools.

What are how do we explain that?

Because part of our schools is only part one part of what we do.

So we provide professional learning, we have professional learning specialists and coaches and support for those 90 providers.

We also work with families and have family specialists, so that's a common misconception that all of the money is going to support the children.

It's really what makes pre-K4SA stand out from so many of the other models that other cities are doing, is it is a complete comprehensive program that is not just about creating additional seats, it's about create completely transforming the ecosystem through other providers we work with.

Um and our and our goal is that every family in San Antonio has access to a high quality provider, whatever meets their needs, whether it's a faith-based provider in home, child care at one of our centers in the public schools, that's the goal, and so the money goes to help support the ecosystem.

Okay.

So then the quick answer to that is it's not just for education, y'all are providing family services, and what else did you say?

And professional learning is a big part of it.

So supporting those providers who are um educating another 4800 children.

Um and that's a and I think when we did, and we haven't updated the study recently, but actually when we because I got when I first came to pre-care for I said I got this study or this question, and so we showed that we're actually spending, we were spending less per child in our schools than some of the school districts were.

And when you broke it down by hour, because we run a program from 7.15 till 6 p.m.

It was per hour, it was less expensive than most of what the schools were spending.

And that was not to suggest the schools were spending too much.

It was just to show that high quality education costs money, and so that's um, so and we we're very mindful of that to make sure that um we are making use of every dollar in the most efficient way, and but quality does cost money, and so that's an important piece.

We want to pay our employees well.

Um we want to make sure that the children get the outcomes they deserve.

Councilwoman, we'll we'll update that analysis and send it as a follow-up to you and the rest of the council to see that apples to apples.

Yeah, yeah, I'm curious to see how much y'all are spending on on family services, on on professional learning, and and the education piece.

Thank you for that.

Thank you, sir.

Um, really quick on um ready to work.

Um, you know, I I've said it before, you know, the mission of ready to work is a noble one.

Uh, we I know that Mayor Nurenberg and and the councils in the past were trying to solve a very hard problem of of reducing generational poverty.

Um so I even though the outcomes are still not quite as expected.

I'm I'm I'm happy to see uh at least some progress and and forward momentum.

Uh a couple of quick questions.

Um when we're looking at the progress that we've made in reducing some of the barriers for or or what kind of progress have we made in reducing some of the barriers for people getting into jobs quicker.

So our partners are doing yeoman's work trying to make those connections before they exit their training programs, which is seeing phenomenal results.

As I look at over the last 12 months, while we've seen that increase in job placement in no small part is due to them being able to make those connections so that they can have that on-ramp in a much shorter time span.

Okay, sorry, I didn't I can you tell me the Twitter version of that answer to the first time.

Twitter version, our partners are connecting them to employment opportunities before they finish the training.

Okay, okay, so y'all are kind of making the on-ramp quicker.

All right.

Um I know that and one of y'all's great great partners um who me and my team have tremendous respect for is Francisco and Project Quest team.

I know that they do a phenomenal job of placing uh uh connecting people with with their employers.

One of the things that we had talked about on our in our last meeting was that there was a flooding in the market with entry at entry-level IT jobs, and it so it kind of created a longer lag for people trying to find those jobs.

What have we done to correct that?

And have we seen that with other industries?

Yeah, IT has been the one that we struggle the most in.

And um what has happened is our advisory board has reduced the number of occupations that we train for within ready to work, but we still have a grounds fell of people that have already gone through those training programs.

So we're continuing to refine which occupations in the IT sector are producing results for ready to work participants.

So our board is doing yeoman's work and doing that.

Okay.

Okay, sounds good.

Um, how have our target industry needs and enrollment shifted with uh today's current economy?

Healthcare is still number one by far.

Um, that sector is gonna continue to have needs now and into the future.

Um CDL drivers have been a you know huge demand, and they're finding good employment opportunities to be ready to work.

Um, as we just talked about with IT, um, we're seeing a decrease in hiring from that sector, but again, we're trying to find the right dishes for our population.

Majority of our participants don't have four-year degrees.

A lot of those employers are looking for that, so we're trying to find the right occupations within IT that don't require it.

Um, education is an area that's been growing for us in ready to work, where individuals who do have degrees are looking to become teachers or finding great opportunities to be ready to work.

We have a very high job placement rate in that sector.

Um, I'll go on the next round.

Thank you.

Okay.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Thank you both for the presentations, and thank you for all the work that you do in our in our community and uh with residents.

I know it's very um difficult subject matter at time, and it's the work of of of people and human relations and the like.

Uh I guess I'll start with pre-K4SA, and I'm gonna try to transition naturally and gracefully between the two.

Um I'll start off with the reauthorization.

The deadline is November of 2028, and this may not be um uh your question necessarily, but might be Eric.

Do we have to wait until November 2028 or 2028 generally, or could we do could we realistically put on the ballot this year?

No, you could you could do it sooner.

You could do it sooner.

It's just uh um that's up to the council for sure.

I I think it would make sense to as quickly as possible know that the money was authorized so that we can work it into the five the projections for uh the next several years, and so that would be uh what I would certainly like to see, and I think the need is demonstrated time and time again.

I don't know how many subject matter how many different items we talk about where child care comes up uh and the need for early childhood education.

And um my team when when you were when you were briefing the team um asked about the need, uh and so that the AM study on early childhood said that we need another 30,000 seats in San Antonio.

Can you talk a little bit more about that?

So, right now, um so AM, we commissioned a study with them.

Um it was actually ready to work, um, economic development and health and human services, um, not health and human services.

Sorry, I guess I I get them confused between between the state one and our city department, but at any rate, um we commissioned a study with ANAM that looked at the child care landscape in Bear County, and what it showed was that we have about a 35,000 um seat gap between the number of children um in that are it with families that would like to be to work and the number of seats that are actually available, but also that um the quality of that is not what it could or should be for our children, and so that's where it's like figuring out how do we expand access in the right places and in a way that families can make it affordable that is affordable for families because we have an affordability issue as well.

For sure, and so definitely outside of just the the four pre-K for essay sites, there's uh all the different providers that you work with to you know try to improve the the quality and care and uh I guess it this is not the point where I aim to transition, but um potentially let me just I guess I will uh I will close out on this part of the the presentations by saying I guess I'll ask this.

If we were to with the reauthorization, would we be able to expand pre-K for SA, such as the right now we have the in the zero to three program, would we be able to expand that because that's such a great need?

Would we be able to do would we be able to pilot something like night care?

Yeah, we actually have so we're working in partnership right now with um Texas A and M.

San Antonio to open EduCare to see, and part of the goal of that particular site is to offer after hours or later hours care, and we're trying, and we will start by having regular hours, but then understanding going to a second shift and what that means.

We're we really need to understand what the families want and need because not every family necessarily would want their young child overnight in a child care facility, but that is the intention of that program, and as with everything at Pre-KRSA, we start with a pilot to understand how to do it, study it, figure it out, and then take it to scale.

For sure.

So I guess the the root of the question was can we do that with the reauthorization?

Like that's something we can do, or will we have to find outside?

No, we could we could because the authorization is to provide services to families with young children, right?

And early education services, and what that looks like is dependent on what the needs are in the community, and that's why it's shifted a little bit over time.

But that that's all permitted as long as we're focused on early learning that is ultimately focused on helping children do better in schools and better in the better in the workforce.

Thank you.

And I imagine you've had these conversations already with the different school districts, but as you're aware, there are a number of campuses that have closed and are closing.

Um I've recently had some conversations with SAICD about some locations in my district and some buildings that don't require very much repair or anything right now that could be utilized for child care.

And so if that's an opportunity, I'd like to be able to navigate because the need is deep and it's everywhere.

Um but I'll I guess I'll I really want to convey we should put um put this on the ballot as soon as we possibly can.

Um and I would like to make sure that pre-K for SA is able to operate and serve kids for as long as possible because we know that the need is so astounding.

Um I'll transition to um, and this is the question I was going to ask.

There were I'm looking at the uh ready to work site right now, and on the um target occupations, PDF.

There are three that are highlighted.

Um teaching assistants, child care workers, and veterinary technicians, and those are all indicated to be pilots.

All of my years are blending together at this point.

Was that a pilot for this year?

And so can you tell us anything about how those three are going and how are you testing them?

This year they're in a very early stages to see if we're gonna have some good outcomes.

The vet tech program is a two-year degree program through Alamo Colleges, so we haven't had any graduates from that program yet.

They've just started enrolling individuals for our child care pilot, working with family service, and um we haven't gotten our first uh group results yet.

We don't have them out yet.

No, they haven't come out yet.

But the challenge in child care, we know we need workers, but the wages.

So what we're trying to do is to figure out if there's a sweet spot where getting more individuals into the child care profession where they can still make a living wage.

So we want to see what those results look like to see if we can connect to employees that pay well.

I guess drawing a connection before I forget, I think we should probably beyond this conversation have a conversation about how we make the child care industry more affordable and more accessible, and how do we make it easier for operators to operate more affordable?

Um I don't know what that looks like, but the wages have got to improve, and I don't know how we get to that point because we can train all these people, and if they decide that they're not gonna go into this field to make 11, 12 dollars an hour as they shouldn't, then you know I I don't know what else we do.

Um beyond that, I see also elementary, middle school, high school.

Um what does that look like?

Are you having are folk doing alternative certification programs primarily?

That's correct.

Primarily region 20 alternative certification programs, people with degrees that looking to go into the classroom.

And what does the and are we paying the fee with I guess what does that look like?

The education and training costs of that certificate program, we covered that.

They get the wraparound supports their ready to work provides as well.

Okay, and I think to the point, I I didn't want to forget this, but uh the mayor mentioned GI Bill and mentioned you know, folk who have access to other resources that could pay for their continued education.

Um I used the GI Bill for my undergrad degree, and I felt like it was pretty like it was smooth for me.

It's not the VA has a number of problems, and there's issues with for veterans receiving services.

I don't know that the GI Bill was one of the was one of the biggest challenges.

What I wonder is there, I don't know logistically how this might work out, but is there a way for ready to work to accept payment from the GI Bill?

Like, can we if people want the wraparound services and that's the real benefit because you know you can enter in a continuo another education program and not have any of those things, and they can use the GI Bill, and that's fine.

But if the real benefit to veterans is going to be and to if the real benefit to veterans is going to be the wraparound services and the rest, is there a way that we can accept tuition to cover some of the cost and provide the wraparound services, but they get but the GI Bill cover we accept the GI Bill.

So the way that ready to work is set up, we reimburse tuition back to our partners who are paying that tuition up front on behalf of the participant.

So it's a reimbursement model.

So the city hasn't pay any tuition up front.

We don't pay any training providers directly.

We reimburse Project Quest and Workforce Luces Alamo and all those providers who are paying that on behalf of the participant.

So what we could do and explore the possibility of not having tuition as a part of the package for individuals who are receiving the GIB and have that support.

Many of our veterans have exhausted their GI Bill but still find themselves in a position of needing education and training.

So we want to make sure that we account for that as we go through those scenarios.

For sure.

I think in order to be effective, I think most of the time we're gonna there's always got to be room for case-by-case and exceptions and the like, and so um I think that's it.

I did not hear I I understand the mayor asked that question.

I did not hear you say it in that way the first time.

Did you do you feel like you said that twice just now?

And I asked you a redundant.

No, I we didn't go that deep the first time.

Okay, gotcha.

Uh just wanted to be sure.

Um I think that's it.

I really appreciate both of y'all and keep it up.

Thank you.

I think the spirit intent of the question is the same though is how can we get reimbursed when others have other ways of paying for these services?

Yeah, thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Um, Councilman Govern.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, thank you for the presentations, uh, both Mike and Dr.

Baret.

Um PK for essay.

First of all, Dr.

Ray, thank you for the uh very long conversation we had that was on me for making it long.

Um of course, you know, this is something I'm very passionate about and very interested in finding ways to continue to expand these services.

On slide 11, this is something that I asked you when we were there.

I don't know if you were able to get any data on what are the for the moderate ones, the 159 that we have there.

Do we know what the two major instability factors of the five are that families are experiencing the most of?

Yes, I was talking with Larissa Wilkinson, our deputy CEO this morning about this because she heads this um team, and family violence is actually um probably the most prevalent um instability factor, but then also transportation has been an issue.

And so they're and in fact, um our CEO Paul Chapman and um Larissa are going to meet with VIA um later in the month to kind of talk about because we bypasses, but is there a possibility that you know we can understand better how the system works to help get families get connected to it?

Yeah, that's great.

Okay, that's helpful just to know.

And I think you know in our last community health committee meeting, we talked a lot about um ACEs and how those scores are affecting our families, what that looks like here overall.

Um, and the way that a Metro Health and other programs that we have here at the city are intervening in those cases, right?

Oftentimes, or in some form or fashion.

Um and so I think it'd just be you know interesting to understand too, right?

I think it's something I also asked in that conversation was uh understanding how many of our programs are intervening in those ones, uh, particularly domestic violence.

Of course, we have a lot of good partners here in our community, but wondering too about how many of our coastal programs are assisting not only with those major two, but the other ones as well, to then kind of be able to showcase how much we're investing in uh our pre-K students overall and our families, um, but also understanding right in our budget process later on this year and every year, frankly, how important those programs are to literally keeping our kids and our families engaged in preschool.

Absolutely.

Those, yeah.

So we we work very closely with our our uh other departments in the city of San Antonio that are providing human services, ready to work, um, the health um the Metro Health as well as the community partners that we mentioned.

But yeah, our because these are the we know our lane is early childhood, and that's what we do best, and so but we know the city has great resources, and so we connect with people that have expertise in those areas.

Neighborhood and housing is another big one that we work with.

Thank you.

Um and then I know we're touching a little bit here and there about the infinite toddler pilot.

Can you talk a little bit about or any updates on that one, what it's at right now, or how many folks are enrolled?

So so we started it with four classrooms at the South Center, and we started in October.

Um it has been um even more successful than we imagined.

Um so we have um 40 children enrolled in there.

Um we've started to collect data on them and on the the teachers, the program, how it's doing so that we can understand over time.

Um but in one of the um data pieces that we've collected is around instructional quality, which um we thought might be a little lower than in our preschool programs to start because it's a new program, but actually the baseline scores are very high, so we're very excited about that.

Um and we're also doing some screenings with the children, again, those developmental screenings to be able to find out um are there any things we should be looking for and be able to provide those sport supports to make sure children get the interventions early, but it's going great, and we're super excited about it.

That's great, glad to hear.

Um I think something we hear a lot, and we always talk about it, of course, you and I, but also overall, I think this council is very focused on finding ways to expand pre-opportunities and particularly the early child education from zero from birth to three.

Um we kind of do this conversation a little bit at the education opportunities committee, and we've been getting, I think, closer to it.

But I would interested be interested to see as we're looking at the reauthorization for another eight years or 20 years or whatever it may be, um, something similar to to SHIP in terms of what our long-term plans are for not only pre-K but education overall related to our programming here.

Um looking at some of the framework that you was used then, right?

Timelines, targets, partners, all the specific action steps that I think you've already articulated, but being able to kind of put it together in one uh formalized document that we're able to say that this is our our North Star, that no matter what funding sources we're gonna look for, which is the key part, right?

Yes that we're looking to fund the educare programs, which will do this and all the different things like that.

Okay.

Um I think that would help not only uh us, right?

Continue to kind of look at our own budgetary uh conversations here, but also I think for the community to understand where these programs that they're investing in, frankly, are going to, right?

Um understanding what the full landscape looks like as well, and being able to really articulate that uh when it comes to if it is right, a 10, 15, 20 year authorization of well, where are we gonna be in 20 years?

And this is the roadmap that we would like that I believe would be helpful to them to see.

Um I'll leave that there.

That's a good point.

Yeah, and and pre-KRSA is such a complex program that from a communication standpoint with people that aren't directly involved, it is a challenge to talk about um all the things that we do, and we we often have other communities who come visit us and and want to learn uh learn from us, and they're always amazed by the like all the different things that San Antonio is doing in this area.

And so um, yeah, it's we'll work with our comms folks to help get the word out and and put it into understandable language, um, even though it's complex.

Yeah, well, thank you for that.

Okay.

Um I think those are my questions for pre-K for essay.

Um for ready to work.

Um Mike, do you have a well, first of all, thank you for the conversation we also had.

Um I know even just walking by the other day, we had a long conversation about AI as well and how it impacts our our community.

Can you break down whether it's today or later on uh the participant data for those who are enrolled in um sorry our ready to work participants who are already enrolled in our prime partners, whether it's Almo Colleges, Hallmark, etc.

already plugged in there or employed by a ready to work employer versus those who are not enrolled or employed by either.

Can you give me that one more time?

So those who are enrolled?

Yeah, those so could you give us the data between uh participants who are not enrolled in any program at all, right?

Not in college, not in uh a ready to work employer versus those who are either in a pledged employer or already in Project Quest or colleges, etc.

Yeah, we'll have to follow up with that one.

Okay, thank you.

Um then I think similar conversation.

I think we had this conversation a little bit too at uh the education opportunities committee, and we talked about um Animal Promise, right?

And the kind of overlap with Alamo Promise and other premise programs as it relates to um ready to work and other kinds of programs we have in terms of workforce development education.

Um I'm a little I just want to understand a bit more in terms of Alamo Promise itself.

I know um a lot of our folks, a lot of our ready to work participants um are 1824, are enrolled in Almore Promise already.

Um but with the tuition costs, are we covering primarily that tuition or are we looking at uh those who are non-traditional students, those who are outside the right after high school range?

So for Alamo Promise that's funded through Ready to Work is 4.6 million in FY27 budget.

Right.

Those individuals are not connected to traditional ready to work.

We're funding those scholarships to the ready to work pot, but they're not uh captured with the case management supports or any of the other elements of ready to work.

They don't show up on our dashboard.

Got it.

Um for individuals who are enrolled at Alamo Colleges that are within Ready to Work, I believe it's about um 18% of our participants are pursuing two year degrees, and the majority of them are at Alamo Colleges, we track those on our dashboard.

Okay, that's how that's I think it's a similar point to what the conversation around uh Hazelwood and GI Bills and Veterans Right, but finding a way to make sure that the tuition uh resources that we're providing um are are going as far as they can versus subsidizing something that's already available somewhere.

Um and I understand that point, right?

Right for Alamo Promises of specific eligibility, and so this one's helping those who usually aren't eligible to be able to still get that uh resource.

Um and I think it bleeds into what I uh leads into a little bit about Pell Grants and the changing ecosystem there.

Um I believe Councilmember Meskoths asked this the other day.

Um Workforce Pale.

Yes, yeah.

What is that gonna look like in terms of uh our tuition save or tuition costs?

Are we gonna see any savings?

Do we anticipate anything different there?

Um the most succinct answer is it's too early to tell.

Um they're still making the rules for workforce payle, those are still being formulated.

Um, I've had conversations with our colleagues over at Alamo Colleges, and as soon as that information is available, they'll let us know.

But in theory, over the long run, um, it should create some savings within tuition.

We just can't pinpoint what those are as of yet.

Got it.

And I ask all this question just because I think when I think about the larger question, all right, what's next for ready to work as as we look at the window?

Um I'm a little I just want to be clear about I know we have the the end date 2030.

Um that's the goal to have our funds expended by then.

Um, but if there's for some reason, right, savings and tuition or anything else that we don't anticipate currently in our assumptions.

Do we anticipate being able to continue this program in some form, even smaller scale beyond 2030, if for instance we have uh 20 million dollars left over, so we do half the programming for 2031.

Does that make sense?

If there's funding remaining at the end of FY30, we'll continue to invest that in workforce development efforts within the ecosystem.

Yes.

Okay.

And I think that's helpful just because I I would like to see that in some form, or at least the conversation a bit more detailed with that, versus trying to find ways to spend it in more creative ways.

Although I think interested as a conversation, if it's looking at maybe specific fields that we can look at.

I just want to be able to continue to do this work because I think it's the need's still there, right?

We know that there's still a lot of in our city with the related to this, and being able to have a central hub for this is really helpful.

Um I'm gonna brag from the last 30 seconds on Council Messi Gonzalez one more time in my point comments just because of her recent C CR related to the Santa Education Partnership, finding ways to continue these efforts, right, beyond ready to work, I think is still crucial.

And I think there's a lot of resources out there that we can still tap into.

And if there's any leftover dollars there that we can continue to push that along, I'd be interested in seeing what that looks like.

And anyway, those are just my initial thoughts at the moment around what this next phase of ready to work looks like workforce development in our city looks like.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Air, if you have something.

Yeah, uh thanks, Mayor.

Uh Councilman, you're you're exactly right.

I mean, we we talked a little bit about this at during budget adoption.

We've got um uh great programs here, and I was also gonna reference the CCR that um Councilwoman Maser Gonzalez um submitted that still needs to go through governance, but the notion is is that we have we have Alamo Promise, which is funded to the tune of 4.6 million dollars by the city, um, started out under the general fund, it's under ready to work, hugely important to the community.

Um we have uh both UTSA and Texas AM San Antonio that have created um tuition free programs.

Um we have the San Antonio Education Partnership, which was created uh when uh I was in junior high and still exists, right?

Uh no, I'm not that old, Mayor.

Uh it's just the 80s, right?

But but it still exists, right?

Um, and then we have ready to work and and all those components um are all great, right?

But things have changed, times have changed.

And so how do we how should we look at this in terms of an entire horizon in order to make sure that we're spending the money, our money or the public's money in the best possible way.

Um, if we don't, right now we we we run the risk of additional siloed programs, and I think we we take advantage of the fact that we we need to be efficient, period.

And number two, we need to start planning for the end of ready to work and what that looks like, and how do we start to move those things slowly over time and and not in the course of the summer of 2030?

Councilman White.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, I'll start with pre-K for SA.

Thank you for the presentation and uh all of the good work.

Just for clarification purposes, can you explain what Texas the the state's pre-K funding covers versus what what um our pre-K for SA covers?

So the state funding covers half day pre-K and it varies depending on the school district.

There's a very complicated formula of school funding, so it depends on the the different districts.

And so when children are eligible for dual enrollment, um, which is a smaller subset than even are eligible for child care scholarships, then they can do we can dually enroll them with a partner school district.

The school district pulls down the state funding, and we ask for the majority of that in exchange for providing the full day pre-K.

Okay.

Um and then I had the same question as as my colleague over there regarding you know the cost per student, and and so I guess we'll be able to get that breakdown of what else is is going into to this cost.

Um it looks like expenditures continue to outpace revenues every year.

What is what's driving some of those um the growth and the costs there?

So a lot of it is personnel and the increasing cost of personnel, but the program is designed because it's an eight-year authorization, there's a planned use of fund balance in the design because if we to were to not be reauthorized, we'd want to be just at almost zero at the end of our authorization, but at the same time we're also potentially planning for reauthorization.

So what if we do get reauthorized?

And so that's in the eight-year design is on the front end less, and then you're spending down that fund balance.

Okay.

Have you guys um done sorta any internal or had any independent folks look at you guys for operational audits and things and efficiencies and how we can speak?

We get audited a lot.

So we have to have um and and both internally from the city, but also we have an external audit, and we ourselves um are very um intentional about how the money is spent and where it gets spent, but um the majority of our um costs are associated with operating the schools, right?

Because you have to have a certain number of teachers and staff in there, but also in supporting our 90 child care providers to provide the coaching, um, the business supports, the um the materials, all those sorts of things.

And and when you look at bridging the gap between the sales tax revenue and and the operating budget, what what are some of the funding sources that you're using?

So right now we're relying primarily on the sales tax and the program brings in additional funding.

We um when we have um specific programs that we want to try or pilot, we look for external funding if it's not available in the revenue from sales tax.

What big of a percentage?

How big of a percentage is the is the dual the dual enroll enrollment?

Um it's a almost half, not quite, um, I think, and I don't have the do you have the numbers exactly.

Let's see if I've got it here.

And are there any issues with the reimbursements on this?

Um I mean, working with our school districts, they get the funding.

The challenge for school districts is they get funding in arrears, right?

So it's just making sure that we keep up.

They don't get it in real time, and so we just have to keep up with them, and but they're good partners in being able to do that.

Okay.

All right.

Um well, I appreciate that.

If we can just get the percentage of the dual enrollments, that'd be great.

Um, on on ready to work.

I I guess I'm I'm uh I'm pleased that that there's been there's been some improvement, right?

Job job placements are are up a bit, the cost per placement is trending down slightly.

Looks like 62% of folks enrolled um in the training successfully complete it, which is which is more than more than it was.

to work I I guess I'm I'm uh I'm pleased that that there's been there's been some improvement right job job placements are are up a bit the cost per placement is trending down slightly looks like 62 percent of folks enrolled um in the training successfully complete it which is which is more than more than it was um I've got I've got questions maybe we can talk offline you know some of these ROI figures I think um that you guys have put in the presentation I think um perhaps perhaps need need some context um it does look like there's still about 2100 folks who have completed the training that that we still need need to uh to find some jobs for and one of the other things that that concerns me is I think the city of San Antonio is still one of the top two or three employers of these of of our ready to work folks right yeah Methodist healthcare is number one and I believe the city's number three at this point in time yeah so I mean a lot of this a lot of this money that we're spending on on training we're really just training training our people to to fill jobs to jobs here which I think is an an interesting an interesting model I guess of course um a couple of uh a couple of questions uh average time from uh training completion to to job placement is is is what right now about 69 days it's about 69 days and and that's and that's a little bit down from from where it was from where it was last year.

Is there any point where we stop um tracking or supporting a participant in a job search no um as long as they're in job search and they stay connected to their agency yeah um we're gonna continue to help them uh what typically happens is at some point if that connectivity is severed and they're unable to get a hold of them that's the only reason why they will stop.

So those 2100 people I just mentioned about how many of those are we still helping?

Well many of them may have just finished within the last month or so but we're but the majority of them are still in case management with their partners they're still being assisted.

Okay.

I guess we're sort of moving moving away from that yeah we're shifting away from the OJT again we had employers who signed agreements with the city to hire X number of individuals that they knew we're gonna be ready to work participants at $20 an hour as the floor wage those hiring projections do not come into fruition which is why we had decreased spending in that space.

Yeah.

And I remember it was two years ago when you stood up there and I asked you you know what what could we be doing better and we talked then about how we needed to look at things more from the employer perspective and fulfilling those needs.

So two years down the road I guess we're doing a little bit better than that but as you stand here today what can we do better to make this program more effective.

It's a continual process we have to keep doing what we've been doing continue to talk to employers find out what those needs more needs are and creating that alignment the participants are hungry for jobs they want to work we've got to do a better job at equipping them with the skills that the employers are paying for and so what what are the biggest impediments you see right now today in terms of placing people in in jobs.

Yeah it remains the same but I believe that the economy is going to be a big factor in that us finding out exactly which occupation is going to be experiencing growth over the next two years over the next three years until the sunset of the program to make sure that we're aligned and the programs that we're advising participants to go into or the jobs going to be here locally.

Okay.

Well I um you know I agree with with a lot of the questions that the mayor uh in the comments that the mayor had had earlier on this I'm glad to see things things are improving certainly um but I think there's uh you know as you said there's there's a lot of work work to be done so thanks uh mayor mayor chair did you have something yeah just real quick so councilman up um we are one of the largest employers in the city with 13 and a half thousand employees we are in direct competition with a lot of other businesses um and you can also say that as a city organization we're a corporation of corporations because we do so many different things we've got a multitude of professions um that um start from um straight blue collar to you know nurses and doctors and lawyers um so we are one of the largest users um because I'm in direct competition to fill spots to do things that a lot of folks don't want to do whether that's animal care services or solid waste um or some of the other difficult jobs that we have so um much for the same reason why you have Methodist um healthcare one of the top providers um they're using ready to work because they're in direct competition with Baptist and Christas and UHS so um I I think it's to our benefit as an organization if I can um hire someone who has gone through the necessary training or skills or certification um and they get employed with the city which is um which uh we try to maintain an employer of choice then then they're in a better position and we're in a better position as an organization so I'm I'm we're chasing that for sure because on a daily basis we're in competition to keep our positions filled and so I don't want it to be

If I can um hire someone who has gone through the necessary training or skills or certification, um and they get employed with the city, which is um which uh we try to maintain an employer of choice, then they're in a better position, and we're in a better position as an organization.

So I'm I'm we're chasing that for sure because on a daily basis, we're in competition to keep our positions filled.

And so I don't want it to be seen as a negative context.

Um, but but I mean, pure and simple.

We're we're one of the largest uh employers in the city.

Yeah, so I I don't know that that I meant it negatively.

I mean, but but certainly, you know, we we could also directly hire folks and train train them here, right?

As opposed to them going through the program.

So I I don't mean it negatively.

I just I just think that it's it's um it stood out to me that the city is the third largest uh uh employer of of the ready to work participants, and I guess my follow-up to you would be then so what what do you know where we're hiring them for for what kind of jobs?

Uh everything from CDLs at solid waste um through a Lydney we'll we in the follow-up memo we'll kind of list out, but but I know part of the lowest level are CDLs because we are in constant churn, whether it's public works or solid waste, um, and and frankly, uh and you all probably know this.

Um the the solid waste employee work group is probably one of the most tenured.

They they come to the city, they work for the city, and they will stay with us for 35 years.

And so those are good positions, good paying positions.

Um, and but we'll get you we'll get you a breakdown list.

Well, we're gonna continue to chase that because we've got to keep positions filled.

Uh I'm not saying not to, Eric.

I'm not saying not to.

Councilman Messa Gonzalez.

Thank you.

Uh thank you for the presentations.

Um, I'll go ahead and this is a nice B session because this is kind of a B session of first, right?

We were the first in uh really the country back in 2012 to invest in pre-K, um, and we were the first city in the country really in 2020 to invest in uh workforce development.

So I feel like this is an important meeting um to showcase this and what we do as a city.

So uh just wanted to start with uh pre-K.

Um and I also think before we start too, I know there's a lot happening at the state level in regards to early childhood.

So I want to make a note that we uh priority prioritize this part of our legislative priorities.

Um those priorities are, and I hope my colleagues would chime in and agree with that.

Um, and I know you're working too at the state level.

If you can share some of that work that you're doing before we start the questions, sure, thank you.

So out of the last legislative session, there was uh bill to convene a tri-agency task force, which is looking at the four agencies that have some kind of governance over um child care providers, and those four agencies often have conflicting regulations, it makes it very um burdensome for providers, and so this um that the heads of those agencies are coming together to look at where there are disrepancies and try and create a more streamlined system.

I'm participating in a um statewide work group that's looking at quality and what are some of the issues around quality that are um affected by some of these disconnected um systems.

The other um piece that came out of that was the governor's task force on early learning, which is um actually being chaired by uh Peter Holt, and that is looking at what can the state do to improve early childhood, and again, I'm on a task force that's giving um expert advice, if you will, or um guidance for that task force around issues of quality and affordability.

Thank you for that.

Um, and on slide four, um, when we talk about um and and this goes to kind of what what all that pre-K does, it's that ecosystem that that you mentioned, and we've talked about this to um as well.

But can you just expand a little bit on that on those CDAs and those 300 learning teachers?

Where are they in the city?

So they are all over the city um because we they are out in child care providers.

Some of them are also in school districts.

When we started this work, um many of our school districts had teacher assistance, but they did not have that credential.

That was not the standard.

We worked closely with our school districts to provide that coursework and to train their people to be able to offer those um courses in their own um schools, so that we now have kind of set that as the standard of as a city that a CDA is kind of the entry level that our um teacher aids and assistant teachers should have, and then we've been expanding that to what's happening in our local child care providers as well.

Okay, and what's the starting salary for those folks with that credential?

So the average salary in San Antonio for a child care worker is still around 11 dollars an hour, however, thank you.

In our shared services, this is one of the issues that we're addressing, and one of the agreements we have with our providers that as they see increased revenues, they will invest in their people.

And so, on average, our providers are paying around $15 an hour, and we are pushing toward getting that to $18 an hour, trying to help increase their diversify the revenues, bring in revenue so that they can pay their teachers more, which they are very supportive of.

It's just a matter of do you have the dollars to do it?

Okay.

I appreciate that.

You know, when I was campaigning, I knocked on doors and I literally knocked on three in-home providers during pickup time, um, and it was full-blown, you know, daycare.

Yes.

Um, I know I would give my right arm for my early childhood uh teachers for the ones that um took care of my kids.

I would do anything for those folks to this day, and so I know how important that is for families, and so it can you talk about what we're doing to help those in-home providers.

I'm gonna take a tour of the own in-home providers in district eight.

Yeah, I hope my colleagues do the same to just highlight the work that they're doing, um, and not always in those traditional work hours, too.

So some of those are open late.

But can you talk a little bit more about what you're doing to help them?

Yeah, so our shared service model includes family home providers, and it's a different kind of business than the child care centers.

It's related, but but has distinct challenges, and so we're helping them with coaching with curriculum, helping them to even automate their businesses, um, helping them do some business planning about if they can accept more children, what should they be charging in tuition, how do they market to families?

Um, but mostly it's that helping them because they're often alone, right?

They are just one teacher or one owner in their home, and so helping them to feel connected to a network, but also we've been really focused on expanding hours for non-traditional hours because in home care, um family home care is the easiest place to expand those hours, so weekend and later nights that make it more available for our workers, um, whether it's in the health care field or the manufacturing field, have those available to them.

Great.

Um and I know last I think the last council adopted the property tax abatement for the early childhood centers.

Have those been beneficial?

Have getting they have been beneficial.

Yeah, I don't have the exact numbers of how many are taking advantage of them.

That was a huge win because it's just one more expense that the providers don't have to incur.

Um, but I think also it was a win because it um could it help the providers understand city council cares, right?

And that's really important that that people understand that the work they're doing is critical to our community and to our workforce, and so I think as much as the money it was being seen and recognized that they are business owners and they need the support.

Great.

And I remember when was this last B a couple of B sessions ago?

We had Opportunity Home here, and they talked about kind of their fundraising arm that they're gonna uh start with an opportunity home.

Has Pre-K talked about that at all?

Uh yeah, about maybe a raising.

We actually started a division called um pre-K for SA Venture Solutions a couple years ago because we had so many communities outside of San Antonio who are coming to visit us, and they often wanted our help in doing things in their own community, and we said, Well, our resources stay in San Antonio, so if you want our assistance, well um you will need to pay for that.

And so we've had a few communities that are taking us up on that offer.

But interestingly, what's happened also is that we've had employers in San Antonio come to us and say, Can you help us solve our child care for our employees?

And we said we can certainly talk about that under the condition that we don't just solve child care for employees, we solve child care for the community.

So, yes, we can help your employees who are part of the community, but you have to help us figure out how do we serve more children and what does that look like?

Um, and so that is we're in the beginning stages of that working with it, but we've talked to Toyota, we've talked with USAA, we've talked with a number of employers to say what are the possibilities of how that could help, which doesn't mean necessarily building a pre-K for SA on their site or near their site, it's more likely to be connecting with one of our partner providers who is ready to expand that might be able to offer that or to think about unique solutions that meet the needs of employers and across our community.

And how do we add that number to the you know 2,000 then, right?

For all the folks that you are helping literally in the centers, but there's so many uh other providers that you're helping.

All the folks that you are helping literally in the centers, but there's so many uh other providers that you're helping.

So, how do we what's that number look like?

Well, so the 90 providers that we have in shared services, we don't yet have a formal partnership on the employer side, these are very beginning conversations about understanding what that could look like, so more to come as some of those come to fruition.

But um, our goal really is again to have every family have a high quality option that makes sense for them and that is affordable for them, and that's gonna take um a really a mixed delivery system of both in-home providers, child care, faith-based schools, all of those are important for the system.

Okay, great.

Thank you so much again.

I um appreciate this long term investment that we're making as a city and uh look forward to seeing this um last over the next 20 years, and how we do that.

I think that zero to three age group is so um you know necessary that we figure out how to expand services there, and so it in keeping you know, if we expand this those 20 years, um is it are you able to provide more early childhood centers, or is it really working with employers that that goes a longer way?

I guess I'm trying to better understand that.

It's it's all of it actually.

It's working with more providers because right now we work with 90.

We love to work with 300 that helps them expand, be able to fill their seats, um, but it's also working with employers to figure out are there places where we would want to create more seats for community that also could benefit the employers.

Again, that's a diversified revenue source, right?

Because if employers are helping pay for child care, then that makes it uh a more stable um child care center.

So those are all the the pieces that we're looking at and and deciding we are with the next authorization, and we always talk with the community about what are the needs.

We look at the data and say, what's next?

Where should we be headed?

Okay.

Thank you.

Um ready to work.

Not really.

We've we have gone through this presentation in economic workforce development.

So thank you for all the work you're doing.

This long-term investment, I think goes a long way.

Um, it had a uh a rough start, but um it's okay, and we push through and make sure we're hitting the goal.

So I see a lot of our partners here.

I see some of the board members here, so thank you for all the work that you're doing uh to make this program um successful.

Uh I just want to really make the same point that I made in in EWDC, which was just um in the future uh any participants that are eligible for those workforce Pell Grants, um, that we can see the cost savings when the time comes.

I know it's still going through the steps on on the federal government side.

So, and maybe if our if our um IGR department can keep tabs on what's happening with those, that would be helpful and give us an update through our federal lobbyists or something.

Um, I think that would be helpful to all of us so we know uh where they are in the process there.

I don't really have any questions, just thanks again for all your work there.

That's it, thank you.

Councilwoman Spears.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I think I want to first say, you know, workforce is top of mind because the mayor mentioned it, but in Taiwan that's all they wanted to talk about.

And I think workforce is inextricably tied to child care in these days because it's usually dual income families or single parent families, and child care is so expensive no matter who you are, what amount of money you make, it's expensive.

So um, I think I'm gonna start though with ready to work.

Get over to my um ready to work.

I think it sounds funny when I say it out loud now.

Ready to work needs to look at what's working, I think, and what's not working.

Um I do agree we probably need to look at how we narrow our focus with the time we have.

Trades are our really good uh point, Mayor, that we do trades because that's all I hear we need, and here we need that really a lot across our community, but equally important, I think, because you mentioned Methodist is our top employer, is how do we integrate these new technologies coming our way, like AI, which I talk about a lot, into more of like a scaffolding approach for people who are already working but need these skills to train up quickly, and I think we can do those things and meet those needs.

Um I don't want us to move away from it because we need to lean into it because those are the kinds of high-paying jobs we want to see in our community and the kinds of employers we're trying to attract.

So, to that point, you know, being employer led is extremely important, and the employer experience is important.

Um, how they're integrating with our systems and finding the right um candidates for their jobs is very important.

So I had a few questions here as well.

Let's see.

Um how do they enroll?

How are the employers enrolling and setting up their job categories?

So employers don't particularly enroll in ready to work.

Our contracted partners establish relationships with employers directly.

Um that was the reason why they were selected to do this work because of those relationships and their expertise in that space, and through those employer relationships through our prime partners, they make those connections for our participants to employment with those who are seeking work.

But they don't use they don't have to submit like job codes or anything like into the the application that we use.

No, they don't have to submit any job codes or anything like that.

Um we have employers that have taken a pledge to support ready to work and hire from the pipeline, and um those employers are pledged employers within ready to work, but you don't have to be a pledged employer to hire participants.

I just have received feedback that it's hard to navigate that pipeline.

Gotcha.

Yeah, yeah, we we are constantly working with employers and listening to their feedback to try to find ways to have them access the talent better.

Some of those iterations that we've done, we have a ready-to-work job board that employers can register for, and they can list job postings within that job board, and our participants can have their um resumes uploaded to those employers that are seeking work.

So if they have a specific job that they want post it for only ready to work participants, they can upload it there, or they can use our work in Texas system, the system supported by the Texas, the state uh workforce commission, Texas Workforce Commission, and they can find our candidates there as well.

I think that's what I'm hearing is that they're having trouble navigating our our dashboard.

Gotcha, the job board, understood.

Yeah, and tracking people that they're they're interested in if they if they get placed or or not.

Um what so you mentioned okay here.

Let me find this slide um five, I think.

How did we go from?

I'm sorry, it's slide three.

You've got the 4,358 placed and approved jobs as of March 30th of 26.

But here on five, it says 2,889 in an approved job as of October of 25.

What did we do to increase so much in six months?

Yeah, I think again, our partners, their experts in this space, and connecting their participants to employment is what we brought them on board to do, and they got better at doing that.

Ready to work is a program that's operating at scale.

Um, many of our partners hadn't seen the volume of participants, and it took some time for them to perfect what it looks like serving that number of participants with the resources that they had.

So have we like done an assessment or an analysis to see what industries these were in, or or you know, analyze that because that's pretty significant to me.

Absolutely.

The primary industries have been trucking CDL, healthcare with all those allied health professions have been the bulk of those hires.

Okay.

So I was seeing so on that hundred back on slide five.

The 125 dollar return for every dollar spent.

Do you know what represent what wage increases that represents?

79 for every dollar invested in wage increases alone, and that's directly into families here in San Antonio.

Okay, so it's a little bit in it's an inverse there.

Okay.

And using that time to quickly scale up our workforce in those areas like AI that they need to scale up in.

Um I want to also double triple down with what my colleagues said about other resources, especially for our veterans.

Obviously, I am most concerned about what happens with our veterans, our active duty, and their families and their kids.

Because we've got to support them well, and um how we can efficiently use all the resources that everyone has available to them.

That's just one example of a group, but any group that has other resources available to them, how we can be really efficient with what we do with our tax dollars and then those other resources, and how we can get additional resources as well.

If there's any other funding we can go after, I think we should be doing that.

So thank you, Mike.

Thank you.

Pre-K for essay.

The benefit of going later is your colleagues have asked a lot of the questions already.

Um so I wanted to ask what Councilwoman Ms.

Gonzalez and Councilwoman El Drade Govito, you know, we were talking about the breakout.

And I too find that a little bit hard to explain because I hear what you're saying.

It's almost like we're doing two things.

We're trying to scale up our child care workers and what what their abilities are, but also provide spots, seats.

And I am really interested.

Well, first, I'm glad we're gonna get the breakdown from you, Eric, that shows like how we're how it really lays out per kid, because that on its face is very expensive, like you said, like you mentioned.

But um, I just want to serve more kids, period.

Especially because you know, there's this sort of idea.

I'm in this mall, I'm in a bunch of groups in my in my district that are online.

So we have this moms around Stone Oak, and they're real active, and they talk a lot about they need jobs where they can drop their kid in, they need jobs that are just sort of supplementing what they're doing, they can't afford child care, period.

End of story.

They maybe have too many children or the job isn't paying enough.

Um, a lot of single parent families, to your point about family violence, then they get put in these situations and they're not skilled up enough to and they're and they're learning.

Like I I just think that whatever we can do to really look at how we we do more about offering more seats.

I mean, if we're training these people up, you mentioned there's 4800 kids getting served by this this the um child care workers being trained up more, um receiving more training.

But it to me that has to translate to seats because you can only really do one of these.

Well, I mean, you should be training at the the providers we're working with, yeah.

But if we're not receiving more seats from everyone that we're training up, while I know that does level set maybe the the quality that we're doing, but um it's not providing more opportunities for those who need help with their child care.

Um so to that, also I would say I I hadn't we were talking in the office about if there's an opportunity to maybe do a drop-in child care pilot that we can look at.

We have one of those out in district nine that we think is working really well that has a structured learning curriculum, and maybe even you know, like to your point, partnering with large employers on this.

Um, because a lot of the jobs that people are trying to obtain are hybrid jobs, and they're they're not traditional.

So how we serve that subset of of our workers, and then also if they have the the training, I mean um shift work, that's hard.

That's really really very hard.

Yes.

So uh that basically covers everything I was trying to hit, but I again I just think that we're trying to do a lot of things.

Um, and maybe again narrow that scope to really get to more kids.

Okay, thank you very much.

Councilman Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you all both for the presentations.

Uh, Dr.

Bray, appreciate you briefing my team and of course the work that you and your team members do, the support personnel teachers in providing high quality education, um, particularly with the sculpt curriculum.

So just thank you so much.

Many of my questions have been answered throughout council discussion.

Looking forward to the study to demonstrate what we know, right?

The impact of uh pre-K4SA, and I'm supportive of exploring what it could look like with the reauthorization, right?

The trend is right, we know child care is a priority, and the need to expand and support is very much needed.

So I'm eager to support that as well as Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez's request that we have a robust legislative agenda that includes early childhood education.

Um, those are my my comments.

Um, thank you for briefing my team as well.

Um, moving over to ready to work again, Mike Ramsey, thank you um for the work that you and your team do.

Um again, I always highlight the work that y'all do and how y'all highlight district-specific stories.

Uh, and for example, y'all gave us uh the district five team a highlight of a district five resident.

And it highlights that as a former inmate and fresh off of a six month program to address his addiction, he was able to use ready to work funds to help pay for his tuition in Goodwill San Antonio's manufacturing boot camp.

In that program at Goodwill, Jason began to show his leadership and mentorship qualities that help him earn the respect of his peers and instructors.

And he highlights how ready to work even assisted with the purchase of a suit for his job interview.

And he gives credit to Ready to Work, the team at Goodwill and his church family for helping him reach his dream of reintegrating into society.

And looking at the district five specific stats, right?

We're seeing district five residents go from earning 10,000 to up to 42,000.

And I highlight that story in particular because it reminds me of Miss Benya, a constituent that we connected to the Ready to Work program.

She was eager, came by our Collins Garden office, showed me a picture of her in front of the St.

Phillips community college sign.

And she's an older adult and was just eager to get back and gain new skills.

And with her case, it was very unique because she earned her GED while incarcerated.

So getting her transcripts or a paper copy versus the digital copy that most universities, our programs require.

But these are individuals with very unique and diverse needs, and it's a case-by-case basis in terms of how are we connecting them to opportunity.

Because it's not just about the completion of the program, it's highlighting the quality of work of folks that participate in the program.

So just appreciate Mike and your team for continuing to meet with employers, but also tapping into those high barrier uh groups that we see that there are challenges and working with employers to highlight the impact.

This morning, uh I was in Somerset with Joel as well and a couple of uh ready to work folks, uh, highlighting the 20 years of uh Toyota, right?

Uh Toyota Titsu or TTTX.

And um, you know, it was 20 individuals who have been part of the program, but um grateful for Alex and Mike for introducing me to Leslie Kanthu, who has really shaped a model in terms of tapping into the talent of folks who have uh been released from uh the the prison system and connecting them with work for training.

And what I learned from Commissioner Tommy Calvert is they're one of the highest employers, right?

So today there's a second chance job fair at the Frostbank Center, and they're tapping into this talent pool.

So just really grateful for the work, and I think part of that has to do with why we've seen it increase, right?

Because these are unique case-by-case needs, uh, and it's working with employers to demonstrate that there are potential federal incentives as well.

So if you hire um individuals with uh felonies on their records.

Um so just wanted to highlight uh that great work that y'all are doing.

Uh, and there's a lot of opportunity, of course, for us to continue to engage with employers to highlight the impact um that ready to work is having.

Uh, I my question to you, Mike, is how can we as council continue to support uh you all with having conversations with employers about uh the value uh of tapping into ready to work um graduates and I think with the City of San Antonio being the third highest employer, uh it demonstrates the quality of graduates that are going through the Ready to Work program as well.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you for that, Councilmember.

I think the best way that we can you can help us in the community is by letting employers know that ready to work is a resource for them.

Um our partners have been working hard to get talent ready so they can shorten their time to hire and reduce their turnover by getting people who are really going to be committed to their um to their jobs.

And if we can continue to get the word out that ready to work um is working for people and it can work for them as well.

Wonderful.

Thank you so much, Mike.

Um, just wanted also to thank Alex because there's been questions that we have, the entire team, you all really dig into the weeds.

If I have a question, Alex will have a full brief in terms of helping me understand uh why something may or may not be.

So just uh really appreciate the work of you and your team.

Uh, as councilwoman Mesa Gonzalez mentioned, right?

This demonstrates the the importance and the value that the city council and city of San Antonio residents have put in terms of supporting workforce development in early childhood education.

So would be supportive of of course continuing to support this work as well as uh as the councilman proposed in terms of the reauthorization for uh pre-K4 SA.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilman Mugia.

Thank you.

I'll try to beat the clock since a lot of stuff has been said already.

Uh I think it's really important that we had these two topics today because I I do believe that the cure to poverty is at the intersection of workforce education and housing.

So these are three items are really move people uh into a better life.

So, real quick, I want to advocate for you know reauthorization of pre-K for essay sooner than the 28 mark.

And also I would also advocate for the 20-year renewal because I think these challenges will not go away in 20 years, and um they can benefit from that long runway of opportunity of uh funding.

I also think uh, you know, working to improve other locations is important, which I appreciate that pre-K for essay does.

Uh you know, we I pulled up a map here of child care desert.

Inner West Side, East Side, predominantly South Side, right?

Uh a lot three, four of my zip codes in my district uh are the deep red where there are zero seats for folks.

So I do welcome touring any places that you might be working with to council Mr.

Gonzalez's point, so maybe we can talk offline about folks that are there that are doing some good work or how we can tour and let just know what's happening in my district.

Fantastic.

Be happy to do that.

Yes, thank you very much.

Appreciate that.

Uh and Mike, real quick, I know we're just kind of touched upon earlier, but how much of the success of rate of work is determined upon the status of the economy at the federal level, like you know, micro all the way to the micro level.

It's all impactful.

Um I think as we continue to shift to the new dynamic that employers are seeing.

Um, first it was TARFs.

Um, you know, now you're trying to figure out you know how your workforce is gonna look and project into the unknown as far as how many people you're gonna need on staff, and then you have artificial intelligence that's gonna be impacting the workforce tremendously.

I know councilwoman Spears is extremely passionate about that.

Um there's a lot of unknowns in that landscape as it relates to employers and hiring.

Um it's gonna be prudent upon us to make sure that we're connecting with employers to hear directly from them exactly what they're thinking and what they're seeing around that quarter, so we can prepare people to train in those areas where we believe there's a higher probability of there being jobs.

That's a really good point.

So you said tariffs were detrimental to employers here in town?

Well, uh, just anecdotally and what we've heard from conversations from employers, um, their growth was stifled during that time period of uncertainty.

Okay, that's good to know.

Also, you know, tied to this other point I'm gonna make about what comes after ready to work, uh, because to the city manager's point, we shouldn't wait till 2030 to start that process.

And I see some folks here, right?

There is goodwill, uh, Project Quest, which is a lot of great work in D4, WSA, um, what the next phase of this looks like um to carry this momentum forward as you're showing us that more and more folks are getting through the program as the program nears completion, so we have to make sure we continue those investments, but also I would say how do we drive uh and invest uh in sectors that we know we need, right?

So the general economy not providing a lot of doctors for us, right?

Uh, and that's especially so on the south side.

Um, so I've talked about this, right?

We have a huge focus on manufacturing, which is great.

We can we can do more than one thing.

Uh, but you've got high schools aligned with manufacturing pathways, you have colleges aligned with manufacturing pathways, you have the manufacturers go in reverse and connecting the dots there.

How do we do that for industries that we know we will need, like healthcare, but are also recession proof that are also technology proof, right?

Councilman McKee Rodrigues made this point the other day.

How do we know we're not and putting all these incentives uh towards jobs that may go away and in the next 20, 30 years?

So I would say as we talk about the future of ready to work and what that looks like with our partners, how do we really try to drive our own economy that we know we need, uh, especially on areas of town like the South Side, the East Side, the West Side, where we have gaps that the general economy is not really providing for us.

So that's just my last point.

Thank you, Mike.

Thank you, sir.

Uh Councilman Corps.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you all so much for these presentations.

You know, I'll start with where council councilmember Mungia started with around really trying to address poverty.

And I truly don't think that we're actually going to be able to address the inequities in our system until we continue to double down on investments for education and workforce development, which is truly just another form of education for adults, right, Mike.

And and so I think that it's really important that we have these conversations around on our unhoused population and how what we really want them to do is be in the workforce.

And we can't say that we want that if we're not actually doing anything to provide workforce development and training.

We can't say that we we should not have a city-funded or a public funded city-supported workforce development program, because it is true, we are the third biggest employer.

I think it's important that we, like any other large company, would be having their own pipelines, that we build a pipeline too, because that's important for us to have folks in so many positions that are essential, essential workers to our community.

So all that to say this work today is very important, and I think it is incumbent upon us not to figure out how to nix these programs, but how to figure out how to actually support them and make sure that they are thriving so that we can be one of a kind top notch in the country, which I believe we are already very close to being in both of these areas.

So pre-K for essay I feel like we've talked about a lot, and there's a lot of support for.

I just had a couple of quick questions, Dr.

Bray.

Um can you tell me uh what just out of curiosity, what is your staff turnover rate?

I don't know what it is off the it's low, and I don't know what it currently is.

Give me like an estimate single digits, right?

Yeah, single digits, yes.

Yeah.

In urban school districts around the state, the staff turnover rate for teachers is around 30%.

Yeah.

So it is it's I just wanted to share if you knew what the low rate was is that the staff at Pre-K for SA is happy and well taken care of, which is why, quite frankly, we don't hear from them.

And and that is also a part of what contributes to the cost that goes into pre-K for SA.

When you go by and visit the school, you see these educators that are early child care educators that don't get paid very much in the ecosystem, being paid justly and working just as hard to educate the kids.

And the second component to it, I think, is innovation.

When you talk to an educator, every educator wants to be in a space where they're treated like a professional.

Unfortunately, the community that we have created is uh educators are seen as executors, and here is a curriculum and go teach it.

But when we actually allow teachers and educators to be innovators, they can thrive.

And even and it comes down to even in the facility that we're creating.

So simple things.

When we get scared because of threats to our buildings, we board up and we say all of our urban city buildings have to be boarded up, you can't see through them, you can't have dangerous items for play anywhere.

Why did we not think of cutting doors in half so that kids can't get out through the bottom, but adults can see through the top?

I mean, we've just it was more expensive, so we value engineered that out of schools.

But when you go to the pre-K for essay set, you see that actually this is possible.

Why do we not think of nature play as an opportunity for kids to throw around with rocks and fall on the ground and get hurt and realize it's okay to fall?

We said no, let's make everything rubberized so that when you fall, we won't get liable, rather than teaching kids how to safely play in nature.

So those are the things that I feel like throughout the years we have gotten removed from with education that pre-K for essay is showing us a little bit of light on how you can do that with our littlest kiddos.

Um, I actually support the council member Driguez's point where we were actually talking recently with some of the other housing folks that want pre-K for SA to be in their uh housing sites, and we think that would be great.

We have some projects that we submitted for uh LITEC funding, but it's scary because what if they don't get funded?

How do we then continue the program going?

So I agree that if we can put that on the ballot sooner so that our housing projects, so that all the other growth opportunities you're thinking about can have some surety in the fact that it will go on, because a 74% uh uh approval rate from the last voters is very high.

Um, there's very few of us that got 74% uh approval rate.

I know for the few of you that, right?

So I think that is a a lot to say about what the program has success has already been.

And the last thing I just want to highlight is I'm sorry, I'm a little bit on a rant right now.

But the last thing I wanted to highlight was when you look at the data for outcomes for third grade reading for pre-K for SA, the biggest differentiator is with our economically disadvantaged students.

And those are the students that are hardest to reach.

So if you look at our students that are not economically disadvantaged, they perform pretty similarly, but the ones that are getting the main impact are students coming from our low-income, underserved neighborhoods, which is just I think the most remarkable point about why we need more diversified design schools, why we need more workforce-based schools that incorporate all of the folks in our community so that you're actually getting that social and cultural capital to be able to lift up, go to school every day and get the the outcomes that I'm sure this report that we get at the end of the year, we'll see.

So I just wanted to say um thank you for that.

The only thing I also wanted to highlight the center database that the database that's coming up that we're gonna be able to find schools because that's super important.

But the last question, just one question I had for you is why are so no new net positions means operations are staying the exact same as is.

That I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of disheartened by that because every year we're used to having folks come and say, This is it makes me feel like we're not growing, we're not investing into the program.

So if you want to just say a little bit about that.

Yeah, and this really has to do with because sales tax is our primary funding source, and it's pretty modest growth.

And so we we're also we budget conservatively, we don't overpromise, we don't overcommit.

And so we're gonna we call this our keep steady budget, but we are prepared if we get additional money, um, we will be able to expand and and do some addition additional um exciting things that we kind of have in our back pocket that we have to wait to see how things shape up.

It's it's a kind of uncertain time in the financial forecast right now gets there.

Eric might have a thing or two to say about that.

So we're just gonna stay steady and keep doing the good work.

Well, I I'd love to see if that does change for you guys to be able to do different things with that.

But thank you.

Um Mike, with just a really quick question.

I know you've explained this to me before, but looking at the slide uh with all of the data of um how many people are going through and what the 62% completion rate remind me um it's slide three.

Remind me what how we get the 62% calculated, because 6,500 divided by 15,000 is not 62%, and 6,500 plus 4700 divided by 15,000 is not 62%.

Yeah, so the 60% of individuals who start training and then they have an actual completion date.

So they finish either successfully, and that's a plus, they go on the top of that numerator.

So it's a portion, it's a portion of the 4700 that have a completion date.

The the 4700 haven't finished yet, none of them are in that equation yet.

Okay, so the 6500 and two successful completors are in the numerator of that equation.

There's some I can't do the math in my head, but the denominator includes those 6500 and two plus all of those who were unsuccessful in completing their training, which is about 38%.

Got it.

Okay.

If you would get me that denominator, because I just want to see how that math works out and figure it out on the dashboard.

Yes.

But I was just trying to do some comparison numbers for other workforce providers.

So I and Mike knows I'd push back a lot on um some of the programming in the beginning.

But one of the things when I was a college advisor in one of my previous jobs, and we had a big push for college for all, that every single one of my seniors was gonna go to college.

And the reason we did that was because at one point how school counselors were telling kids what they should do and where they should go and what they should be.

If we start telling people you only should go to this job because we know you're gonna be able to get placed in a job and in 30 days or 60 days, so we can meet our metric.

We are now creating systems in our community that says because you come from this background, this is where you need to go.

And that's why what was happening in schools, and so we reversed it, saying, No, every kid is gonna go to college, so you have the exact opportunity as someone else.

That also wasn't the right solution because every kid shouldn't go to college if they don't want to, and I was pushing kids to college that didn't need to go.

But at the same time, we have to figure out a way to keep individual autonomy in how we direct folks to where they need to go.

It is our job as the Project Quest people, as the folks that are doing the individual case management to give them all of the data.

Hey, if you pick this pathway, you're gonna graduate in 60 days, and we'll get you into a job at a high-paying job right after that within 30 days, and that's gonna be your run.

If you don't pick this job, you can take a two-year training program, and it might take you a year to get a job that's at the level or two years, and that's your option here.

But we should present that information, and we have to figure out a way to track that we are doing that.

I feel like if we can show on the front end, we are actually giving folks this information, and that is what they are selecting.

We should not be saying up here, oh, you didn't pick the right pathway, and you're messing up our data.

Because at the end of the day, we're investing in individuals that have uh have somewhere they want to go and have goals.

It's not job to give us their goals, it's just to show them what opportunities they could have.

And I just want to make sure that we just don't nix all these long-term programs because they're longer term, because then we're just forcing our underserved communities into segments of our society, which is gonna create more inequity in the long term.

Just give two really quick statistics to end with the graduation rate for Alamo Colleges.

We all love Alamo Colleges, everyone knows how great they are.

30% graduation rate.

This is 62%.

Their promise rate is 70%, but this is 62.

Austin College's graduation rate is 30%.

On average, the salaries for folks graduating from PAC, $30,000 after one year, 40,000 after five five years for kids graduating from PAC.

So I just want us to say that we're thinking about people that have never been invested in, and I'm glad to see the progress that's being made.

Councilman Galvan.

Did you have something?

Well, yeah.

Oh, count oh, okay.

It's not on my list.

Wait, Councilwoman.

Um thank you.

Yeah, I just had one uh follow-up question uh for ready to work.

I don't um I can't remember where I heard this, but I just wanted to get clarification.

Somebody had mentioned that when um if if a ready-to-work um trainee is graduating with let's just say IT, you know, in the IT course, but they get a job with an employer in another department, like let's just say I'm using hypotheticals here, they get hired by HEB.

Maybe it's in the marketing department.

Um that that's not counted necessarily as a um I I don't know how you how y'all have a success.

If it's in one of the occupation areas that's on our list of approved jobs, it will count as a job placement and go on a dashboard.

Even though it's not necessarily one that they train for.

That is correct.

Okay, well, no, that's good to know because you know, I was thinking that's interesting because you know, I mean, people might graduate with a um marketing degree and then go to USA and start off a call center.

Doesn't mean they won't go into marketing later.

They could.

So I just wanted to make sure that we were accurately tracking those, because I mean, anybody who's been in the business world, you know, your path can be like this, you know, and so you can go from one department to another, but the the point is getting your foot in the door, getting a good paid job and getting those benefits.

So you're saying that even if they don't graduate with the training program that they were training for, they're still marked as a quote unquote success as a if it's in one of our approved occupations on the target occupation list, yes.

I'm curious now how many are not in that approved occupation list.

Got it.

Yeah, we can get you that data of how many jobs we collect at all of every job they get.

There's roughly about 500 individuals that are not an approved job that do have a job.

So we have over about 5,166 that are in total job placements uh compared to the 4593 of approved job placements.

So the delta is about 500 jobs.

Yeah, and and that's interesting because you know, I I feel that if they do go through the training program and they're placed in a job, whether it's on our list or not, you know, and they're getting a good salary and benefits, that's a win, you know.

Um I'm look look forward to seeing those numbers.

That's okay.

Thank you.

Has anyone has everyone that would like to speak on this issue spoken on the second round?

Okay, great.

Thanks again to our presenters, um, Mike and Dr.

Bray for your very thoughtful presentations.

Um, Dr.

Bray, I have just uh a couple more questions for you.

Um I think telling the the point was made.

I want to make sure that we are able to fully explain this to to the to our folks, though, which is the work that you do not only in the classroom, but the very like almost as important, if not more important, um, work that you do to increase the supply in our community.

Um I know this is a not only the supply, but the quality of the supply that you all are are working to do.

And I think helping us understand what level of investment gets you to that is is important.

So thank you in advance for that.

I think this discussion also highlighted, you know, we have talked about how we're going to update our economic development agreements later this year.

Um and one of the things I would encourage uh my colleagues uh to consider as we think about that conversation is how we are thinking about this issue in particular as uh as part of those, right?

Coming into the community, we want to make sure there's no do no harm, right?

Don't contribute to the challenge.

And frankly, you could look at uh the issue with emissions, what's happening at the federal level, but also the very real need that we already have here in ensuring that um those employers coming into our community, particularly those that we're incentivizing are not contributing uh to the the additional challenge.

Um I can I think certainly what you've heard today is um I think a difference in philosophical approach, right?

And this goes for Mike as well.

Difference in philosophical approach and in terms of how we are um I think best um stewarding the the resources uh that our um neighbors are so generously agreeing to invest in both of these programs and understanding.

So I think what's incumbent on us then is is you know how we certainly balance the anecdotes with what the data is telling us at scale and what really is going to move the needle in terms of long-term poverty, I think is the scale piece of this, right?

Which is which is why I think you've heard a couple of my colleagues also talk about how are we much more focused in terms of meeting the needs in in our community.

And so um a thought exercise for you, Dr.

Bray, I I'd welcome understanding.

Um you just lay flat for us.

My my working uh assumption in this based on what I've read is that the highest ROI in human development is always early and as early as possible.

Is that is that correct?

That's absolutely correct.

And so um it's you know, kind of it's lower.

I'm not saying it's zero, I'm saying it's lower though when it comes to the upskilling part.

And so what I want to make sure I understand is um and Eric, I'd welcome how understanding how we might be able to do this.

Um, how do we if I had one dollar, right?

Should I give that one dollar to pre-K for SA, or should I give that to Ready to Work?

Understanding where do we have the highest ROI for our community?

Because at times it's not just that child care seat, it's that one, it's that worker that is now going to be able to provide not only you know care for those, whatever the ratio is, seven or eight kids, right?

That then allows those parents or those those those providers, those guardians rather, to also go to work and do what they need to do.

So I would welcome us having a more strategic conversation about ROI.

I get things make us feel good.

Yep.

But we need to have a conversation about ROI.

Um, so uh if we had, you know, Dr.

Bray, if you had 50 million more dollars, I'd welcome understanding how you'd spend that.

Um, but I'd also uh welcome understanding, and I see Dr.

Niven there, um, helping us understand investments, you know, if we had an additional 50 million dollars, would that have the highest ROI for our community in um in ready to work, or would that be highest in in pre-K for SA?

I think that's how we have to understand the the what we're actually doing with these investments.

Um so please help us understand that.

Um Mike, I think one of the things that you made a good point of, and I I completely agree, which is that we've got to meet the need in in the community.

When I have conversations with folks at at Rexa, for example, or have I have conversations with Greater San Antonio Builders Association, and they talk about these gaps in the trades, as was alluded to also by councilwoman Spears.

I I am surprised then when I hear folks like Rexa saying, yeah, we're gonna stand up our own trades academy to do like it doesn't in my mind it doesn't make sense that they feel like they would need to do that when we have this program, right?

That ideally is working to fill that gap.

So help us understand how you engage those folks that are telling us they have a demand and yet we are not meeting it with a program that says we can meet that demand.

Yeah, it's a balancing act.

Um we encourage employees to start.

What is about like it's the balance act between what they need and what's in the supply chain.

So you're trying to balance those two things, supply coming out of ready to work and those specific pathways.

So construction, of course, is a pathway that I believe is one of the quickest ways into the middle class, and we have lots of people who would benefit from pursuing those options, however, common, they do have options, and we need to get more people pursuing those skilled trade options.

So if we can convince them that employers have the jobs, they're gonna be there for them so they can take care of themselves and their families, and they want to hire that population and they identify either their own internal training program or training programs that are available throughout the community.

We want to funnel ready work participants into those so that we can create that balance and meet that demand.

Yeah, I think we might be talking past each other a little bit.

So when um when when Rexa says, hey, you know, we're not getting what we need out of the community or for programs like ready to work, we need more of trades, X, Y, and Z.

And yet we say we've got a program that produces that, help help me understand how we can better meet an organization like Rexa's needs, like however they could to your point, right?

Let's go talk to the employers.

Okay, well, Rex is saying they need this, and yet we're producing something that we think meets that, and yet they're saying no, no, it's not.

We've got to do our own thing.

I guess help us understand why that is the case and how we can actually better funnel our pipeline into what they say they need.

I'll give you a great example or Pacific credential that wasn't really available within our ecosystem.

So we talk with our training provider, Alamo Colleges, who also happens to also be a prime partner within ready to work, and they adjusted the training curriculum to what that employer was looking for, and now we're producing exactly what they need.

So if you take that example, you convert it over to construction.

Like whichever the industry is that works the same way.

What are you looking for?

Is there a training program that exists currently that you get people from that needs a small adjustment to get you exactly what you need?

Then how do we recruit more people into that pathway so you get more volume of individuals exiting with those credentials so that you can then hire on the back end?

So, Mayor Mayor, I think you know, and maybe more to the to the question you're asking.

Um I have yet to hear from an organization.

And and and you generally it's their general statements, and and councilwoman Spears talked about it a second ago.

If somebody says it's too hard, then um asking them what's what's hard about it, what's confusing about it?

Um and forget about the city for a second.

Uh the healthcare industry is a perfect example.

Um growing sector in our economy.

We have four major hospital systems.

Um utilizing ready to work to ensure that uh folks that are graduating on Friday are working on Monday because they're in direct competition.

And so what I have found um on this journey for the last couple of years is that, and I don't know if you're using a real example, is Rexa really standing up some sort of program?

Is Rexa really standing up some sort of program?

Yes.

Did anybody ask them what what is it that you're doing that that ready to work can't do?

Because that's something well I'll follow up with.

I mean, I I think that probably if you guys come across that, then please let me know because I really haven't heard a good answer other than maybe it's organizational and they're trying to build some sort of momentum within their organization.

I mean, frankly, before we went into workforce development through Ready to Work, um, the notion of workforce development and the fragmented system that existed here through agencies and we were just two million dollars of a much larger ecosystem, the lack of coordination was there.

So at the end of the day, whatever happens to Ready to Work in 2030, whatever you guys decide, at a minimum it's got to be better coordinated.

And and you're hitting the nail on the head, Merriman.

That stuff is happening right now.

Um Ben, Mike, and I went and spoke to um a greater chamber breakfast that had 50 people here a couple months ago, and it was it was constant about tell us what your needs are, right?

You you may have as an employer, you may have a direct needs or as an industry, but tell us because there are certainly employers and sectors that are utilizing it because they see ready to work as an opportunity to get folks that um wouldn't normally be applying for those jobs.

So that's how you all can be helpful.

If you if you catch one of that, shoot the flare off, call me, I'll call them, and let's find out how we can bridge the gap.

But I but I think that if we chase that constantly without any real substance, then um it it's almost like um it's almost like um my neighborhood telling me we have a bunch of crime, and I'm like, where?

Like who who called 911?

And nobody's raising their hand, and I can't get in the answer from the neighborhood who says that we had a bunch of crime.

So is it anecdotal or is it real?

And how do we how do we bridge that gap?

Sure.

And I and I think um to that point, I think there is there's national reporting though that speaks to the gap that we have in the trades, right?

And so what that looks like then here locally, hence my question of how do you understand not just what the individual employer needs, but like big picture, how are we understanding what those those gaps are?

And it's hard for me to imagine, and I frankly I've heard it as well from not only groups like Rexa, but also from the unions, right?

That talk about the gap that we have in these in these skill sets.

Um so you know, understanding even like you know, what what is the gap, number of plumbers that we need between now and next five years?

What is the number of electricians?

What is the number of HVAC technicians, right?

And then if if we understand that those are those are major gaps, but also areas where folks are initially and over time gonna make a great wage.

Why would we not try to focus our efforts in those in those areas um, you know, versus the the list of uh 58?

Um because then we're you know, we're putting folks on a path.

And it and it's not to say, and it's not to dictate to somebody what they're going to do, um, but it's a little bit of like this is the real world if you want us to invest in in these kinds of things and pay and and then it at the end of the day, this is a scholarship.

I I view this as a scholarship.

I think Mike, you and I have had that conversation.

Um, and so you know, some folks will take the scholarship and and some will not, and that's okay.

But I think given we're using tax dollars, we have to be cognizant of the ROI and see how that skill that we're training folks for helps to fill a gap in our community, right?

Did you want to say some errors?

It's a sk it's not yeah.

Um I I'd offer Mayor that that it's not just a scholarship, it is an employment opportunity for the employers, right?

So the employers that that want to use ready to work as their HR recruitment, that'll make it a little bit easier for them.

If they want to go do HR recruitment the way they want to do it or the way they've done it, then they're kind of swimming upstream, but it's a competitive edge that whether you're where regardless of industry, small, big, or medium uh employer, it is who can I get to fill these positions that's trained and ready to go.

Okay.

Thanks.

Um, I uh you get a couple of of do outs from us in terms of um information that helps us better tell tell the story, and then no kidding, um, understanding uh which of these programs has the highest ROI for our community.

I'd certainly welcome understanding that.

Um thank you.

And and to the extent that um Mike, if you if you could I mean, reach out to Rexa and say, or reach out to San Antonio, you know, Greater San Antonio Builders Association, American Subcontractors Association.

What is our understanding of our community need?

Um I know there was a um uh a group housing builder uh conference earlier this year that kind of talked about the trends in the association.

So I know they're tracking closely then the skills that would be needed to to meet that supply and where we are relative to the gap in the trades to to accomplish just that.

Okay.

Eric, do you have any final things you'd like to add?

Uh no, ma'am.

Thank you.

Okay, great.

Um we'll do the follow-up memo.

Please, thank you.

I appreciate that.

Um, and a reminder, my colleagues, we have public comment.

Thank you.

Okay.

31 folks signed up.

Thanks, Aurora.

The time is now 4 37.

This meeting is adjourned.