The nonprofit will launch an online family search tool and assist early child care providers in extending child care to weekends and non-traditional hours for military families and other workers in the upcoming year, Baray said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Brenda-Bazan-Pre-K-4-SA-8-scaled-1.jpg\")
Pre-K 4 SA CEO Sarah Baray in front of the new PreK 4 SA center under construction on the Southeast of San Antonio in 2025. Credit: Brenda Bazan \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
Pre-K 4 SA is also a partner in the construction of Educare San Antonio<\/a>, an early child care center for 200 children that will open at Texas A&M-San Antonio in August.\u00a0<\/p>\n Much of its work next year will stay the same. Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA\u2019s CEO, highlighted the addition of a new South Education Center in October 2025 and the launch of more robust planning and support for families that need to be connected to additional services, like housing, transportation and employment.<\/p>\n The South Education Center<\/a> has been more successful than anticipated, Baray said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the data pieces that we collected is around instructional quality, which we thought might be a little lower than in our preschool programs to start, because it\u2019s a new program,\u201d she said. \u201cActually the baseline scores are very high. We\u2019re very excited about that.\u201d<\/p>\n Pre-K 4 SA will maintain the exact same staffing levels as it had in the previous year \u2014 502 employees. A majority of those will work at its preschools.<\/p>\n The estimated $62.3 million expenditures are higher than the previous year, when the nonprofit spent $58.7 million, but Pre-K 4 SA has seen higher than expected revenues from its sales tax, Baray said. The budget also falls within a multi-year plan to spend its funds by 2029.<\/p>\n Pre-K 4 SA\u2019s board will vote on the budget on April 28 and council members will weigh in with a final approval on May 7.<\/p>\n Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) suggested that city officials push for an earlier reauthorization for the program, rather than waiting until 2028 or 2030.<\/p>\n \u201cCould we realistically put it on the ballot this year?\u201d McKee-Rodriguez asked city staff. \u201cIt would make sense to [put it on the ballot] as quickly as possible to know that the money was authorized so that we can work it into the projections for the next several years.\u201d<\/p>\n Council members Edward Mungia (D4), Teri Castillo (D5) and Ric Galvan (D6) also endorsed the idea. Baray said Pre-K 4 SA does not campaign for its own reauthorization.<\/p>\n Pre-K 4 SA\u2019s formation started with a blue-ribbon task force under then-Mayor Julian Castro and was approved by voters for the first time in 2012.<\/p>\n The nonprofit was reauthorized for another eight years starting in 2021 and expanded to include children under three years old<\/a>. The approvals were to use a one-eighth cent sales tax to fund Pre-K education.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/StateOfTheCity_GreaterSanAntonioChamber_ModeratedDiscussion_03_04.14.2026_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones addresses guests of the State of the City event at the Tobin Center on Tuesday. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n