San Antonio City Council Committee Meeting on Youth Programs - February 6, 2026

The City Council committee convened on February 6, 2026, to receive presentations and discuss the city's portfolio of youth programs, including Opportunity Youth initiatives, municipal court services, parks and recreation youth offerings, and workforce development. Council members emphasized the need for coordinated data tracking, geographic equity, and increased investment in prevention and summer programming.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the previous meeting of December 10, 2026, by unanimous voice vote (no abstentions).

Discussion Items

Opportunity Youth (Next Level) – Department of Human Services

• Rebecca Flores, representing the Human Services Department, presented on the Next Level program serving opportunity youth (ages 16–24, not in school or working).
• San Antonio has an estimated 30% opportunity youth rate, and Texas has the highest disconnection rate nationally. The city’s average is above 13%, with some areas reaching 20%.
• Next Level opened in 2019 in District 4. In FY25, the program served 425 youth (down from prior years due to the end of a grant from Northside ISD).
• 60% of participants live in households earning under $10,000; 15% have been involved in the judicial system; 13% are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing; 16% are or were in the foster care system.
• More than half of participants lack a high school credential; nearly a quarter left school before 9th grade.
• The program provides free medical and mental health support, transportation passes, and assistance with re-enrollment or employment.
• Flores shared a model: outreach to 100 people yields 50 enrollments, of which 25 enter school or employment.
• Outcomes: participants achieve basic needs, re-enroll in high school or vocational training, and earn diplomas or join the military.
• The city also funds programs at Healy Murphy, Seton Home, and the YMCA. Two pandemic grants established the San Antonio Collaboration, working with United Way to align metrics across agencies.
• Next Level received national recognition, including the 2024 Visionary Champion of Youth award and the All-America City award.
• Next steps include consolidating funds, working with United Way and community partners, and expanding through external sources.

Youth Services & Juvenile Programs – Municipal Court

• Keri Kepler, Manager of Municipal Court, presented on two areas: juvenile court and prevention/intervention programs.
• The juvenile court diversion program (started January 2025) allows youth accused of certain violations to participate in a program where cases are dismissed upon completion; 79% of closed cases were successful.
• The Teen Court program, staffed by youth volunteers, handled cases with community service and fees; 77% of closed cases were successful.
• Prevention programs target truancy across multiple school districts, working with students as young as pre-K and up to age 21. In the current year, over 900 truant students were invited to court, and 209 have re-enrolled in educational programs.
• Programs address substance abuse, mental health, and attendance. Partnerships include AIT (American Indigenous Texas) and UTSA counseling.
• A grant request for under $300,000 will be submitted for the truancy program’s 10th year, including a supervisor position.
• Kepler shared success stories of students who graduated with staff support.

Youth Programs – Parks and Recreation Department

• The Parks and Recreation manager presented an overview of youth offerings.
• The department operates 30 community centers (20 full-service), with extended hours (10 a.m. open). Over 352,000 youth and teen visits annually.
• Summer camp programs at 45 locations: $260 for first child, $160 for second, but 73% of children receive a reduced fee of $25–53. School-break camps (spring, Thanksgiving) cost $3 per day, include meals, for ages 6–14.
• Specialty programs: Sea Perch (underwater robotics), AIM to Float (kayaking and archery), STEM activities including robotics with MIT and NASA (Zero Robotics).
• Art programs include 12-week sessions with gallery showings.
• Athletic offerings: over 910 tennis participants, basketball leagues, boxing club, fitness classes.
• Aquatics: Garcia Atanasio Swim Center had 50,000+ visits, 571 swim lesson participants, 265,000 total visitors. Lifeguard training for ages 16+ with incentives; 58 participants ages 16–24 last year.
• Natural areas: over 22,600 participants at nature programs; 620 nature connection opportunities.
• Employment opportunities for youth: lifeguards, sports officials, youth advisors. The department partners with Next Level to hire youth for first jobs.
• A two-year master plan for youth services was developed, recommending technology upgrades, program expansion to underserved areas, and better community communication.
• The Parks department collaborates with Metro Health, libraries, and other city departments on multigenerational programs and resource fairs.

Ready to Work – Office of Workforce Development

• Michael Sennon presented on workforce development for ages 18–24.
• Participants: 25% of the Ready to Work cohort are ages 18–24. Completion rate: 64%.
• Demographics: 63% female, 60% Latina, 18% African American, 2% Asian.
• Top industry interest: healthcare (56%), transportation (12%). Top occupations: medical assistants, nursing assistants.
• Outreach efforts include collaboration with municipal court’s truancy summit, school district fairs, and a pilot program with SA Works targeting five high schools for 300 youth paid internships.
• A Department of Labor grant will fund earn-as-you-learn training starting June 2026.
• The office partners with UTS and JC (apprenticeship) programs: 238 participants ages 18–24 in training; 17 training programs with UTS, JR Plumbing, Office of Historic Preservation.
• Demographics for apprenticeship: 78% male, 20% female, 65% Latino, 20% Black.
• Expanding through Alamo Academies and P-TECH programs at several high schools.

Council Discussion & Additional Comments

• Council members praised the interconnected agenda and stressed the importance of addressing “leaks” in the youth pipeline.
• Councilor Munguía highlighted the need to expand Next Level, improve mapping of services, and invest in parks and pools, especially in underserved areas (e.g., outside Loop 1604). He noted that healthcare is the top career interest among youth, yet there is a gap in medical access in south and west San Antonio, and suggested aligning workforce training with community needs.
• Councilor Castillo emphasized public safety prevention, noting that youth employment programs in cities like Atlanta and Milwaukee reduced crime. She supports expanding work opportunities to ages 14–16 and will work with Judge Crush on juvenile cases.
• Councilor Galván asked for better data collection by zip code and school district to identify where participants come from and overlap between programs.
• Discussion on funding: Next Level currently lacks sufficient funding and faces barriers because many foundations do not fund government entities. The city is exploring options.
• Council members suggested inviting school district superintendents to future meetings to align programs and facilities.
• The president noted the need to compile data across departments and use it to target investments in high-need areas.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approval of previous meeting minutes.
• Council expressed strong support for continued and expanded funding of Next Level, municipal court youth services, parks programs, and workforce development.
• Requests for cross-departmental data sharing by zip code and school district to improve targeting of resources.
• Will explore expanding Ready to Work eligibility to younger youth and to include more internships with city departments (e.g., Office of Historic Preservation, Solid Waste).
• Plans to host a larger community event or summit to connect families with youth programs.
• Next steps: staff will provide additional data on program participation, waitlists, and geographic distribution at a future meeting.
• The meeting was adjourned at 11:42 a.m.