Mayor Julián Castro thanks supporters and staff members in San Antonio as results roll in Nov. 6 on an initiative approving a local sales tax to fund expanded prekindergarten. Standing with him are City Councilman Diego Bernal, left, the mayor's wife, Eric Castro, and their daughter, Carina.
San Antonio voters backed their mayor’s early-childhood-education initiative by approving a local sales-tax increase that will be used to expand all-day prekindergarten for 4-year-olds.
The measure will raise the tax by one-eighth of a cent to generate roughly $30 million a year. Its champion, Mayor Julián Castro, gained national prominence for his keynote speech during the Democratic National Convention in September.
The higher tax is projected to cost the city’s average household roughly $8 more annually and will last for eight years. The expanded pre-K program is set to begin next fall.
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