San Antonio Mayoral Forum
In a recent forum, San Antonio mayoral candidates Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos addressed pressing issues affecting families and youth, focusing on childcare and education. See the summary below and the full article here: San Antonio Express-News
Childcare Challenges in San Antonio – Mayoral Candidate Approaches
A city-commissioned study revealed that San Antonio childcare providers are operating at just 70% of their licensed capacity, leaving over 71,000 families struggling to find care. The shortage has forced some parents to leave their jobs, impacting both families and the local workforce.
Gina Ortiz Jones linked the city’s childcare limitations to missed economic opportunities, citing the 2021 decision to place U.S. Space Command in Alabama instead of San Antonio due in part to inadequate childcare options. She emphasized that Joint Base San Antonio has the longest childcare waitlist in the Department of Defense. Jones proposed repurposing the more than 25 schools closed since 2023 into childcare centers and expanding Pre-K 4 SA access.
Rolando Pablos highlighted the long-term effects of poverty and stressed that early childhood education is key to economic mobility. He said he would use his political connections to advocate for more funding. Pablos also proposed a new initiative that would allow local college students to earn service hours by providing subsidized childcare during nights and weekends, helping parents with non-traditional work hours and easing hiring struggles in industries like food service.
Despite their political differences—Jones as a Democrat and Pablos with deep Republican ties—both candidates agreed on key priorities like expanding childcare access and growing the city’s Pre-K 4 SA program, which offers full-day early education funded by a local sales tax.