October 19, 2026

Statement from Luis A. Rodriguez
President & CEO, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

RECOMMENDATION: 

The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee hereby recommends that the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce adopt the following position statement, as it advances one of the organization’s five pillars—EDUCATION. Pre-K 4 SA is a direct workforce development initiative designed to develop, within one generation, a world-class workforce through high-quality early childhood education.

STATEMENT: 

The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC) supports the renewal of Pre-K 4 SA and continuation of the voter-approved 1/8-cent sales tax dedicated to early childhood education for an additional 20 years. 

For nearly a century, SAHCC has advanced the interests of its nearly 900 business members through advocacy for small businesses, economic development, and educational initiatives that cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders. 

The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognizes the significant efforts and impact that Pre-K 4 SA has had on the San Antonio community over the past 14 years and its role in strengthening the foundations of the regional economy. As our city continues to grow, investing in the youngest members of our community is essential to ensure that our economy remains competitive and our employers have access to a strong workforce. Early childhood education is both an educational priority which lessens the pressure on public education facilities later down the line as well as is a long-term investment in San Antonio’s future.  For this reason, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce supports the renewal of Pre-K 4 SA and the continuation of the voter approved 1/8-cent sales tax dedicated to early childhood education for an additional 20 years.

Core Pillars of Support: 

1. Investing in a stable and prepared workforce for San Antonio
2. SAHCC supports workforce development and education at every level, including through its annual CORE4STEM Program. For more than 14 years, Pre-K 4 SA has advanced early learning and measurable outcomes that help build the strong, skilled workforce needed for San Antonio’s long-term economic growth. High-quality early childhood education also enables parents to enter, remain in, or advance in the workforce. Because childcare costs and accessibility remain barriers for many families, with approximately 50% of eligible children under age five accessing formal structured childcare in Bexar County, expanded investment can help improve access, strengthen quality, and support the workforce pipeline needed by current and future employers.
3. Economic growth and opportunities 
4. Pre-K 4 SA and the impact it has had reaches beyond the children enrolled in its education centers.  The program has, through its partnerships with public-private providers and professional learning opportunities, supported other early learning providers across San Antonio. This has helped strengthen the broader childcare and education network for those partners as well as the families and employers who depend on it. Pre-K 4 SA has ensured that local businesses and their workers have access to safe and high-quality learning facilities for their children.
5. A long-term investment in San Antonio’s future
6. The proposed 20-year reauthorization represents an opportunity to provide greater continuity and a longer planning horizon for early childhood education in San Antonio. Just as businesses need predictable conditions to plan, invest, and grow, early learning providers need stability to develop their workforce, strengthen program quality, and respond to changing community needs.

Accountability, Affordability, and Provider Sustainability

Given the length of the proposed commitment, SAHCC encourages clear accountability, transparent stewardship of public funds, and regular reporting that reflects the experiences of families, educators, and early childhood care providers.

SAHCC considers essential periodic public reporting on:

• Affordability and access for working families;
• Educator compensation, recruitment, and retention;
• The financial sustainability of small private and nonprofit childcare providers;
• The feasibility and use of shared-cost approaches, including an Employer Match model involving public funding, employers, and families; and
• Periodic assessments of enrollment displacement among private and nonprofit child care providers specifically attributable to Pre-K 4 SA enrollment, including associated financial impacts and implications for the overall health and sustainability of San Antonio’s early childhood education ecosystem.

Additionally, SAHCC encourages Pre-K 4 SA to collaborate with organizations such as Early Matters San Antonio and other community stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility and implementation of shared-cost child care approaches, including an employer match model that leverages public, private, and family contributions. We further encourage ongoing collaboration to conduct periodic assessments of the overall health and sustainability of the early childhood education system across San Antonio and Bexar County, including the impacts on families, educators, and private and nonprofit childcare providers.

Commitment to the prosperity and growth of San Antonio

Early childhood education is an investment in the people who will shape the future of San Antonio as workers, parents, business owners and leaders and by supporting strong educational foundations we can help create conditions for a community able to participate in and contribute to San Antonio’s sustained economic growth. 

The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance of maintaining this investment and the continued development of an early learning system that serves children, strengthens families and contributes to our city’s long-term prosperity.