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PRESS RELEASE: Universal Pre-K Measure Qualifies for the November Ballot
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022

South San Francisco Citizens’ Initiative Qualifies Historic
Universal Preschool Measure for November 2022 Election
 

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Early Care and Education for All South San Francisco, a groundbreaking ballot measure that would fund universal preschool and early care and education for every family who lives or works in South San Francisco by taxing the city’s largest commercial office properties—predominantly wealthy tech and biotech companies—has officially qualified for the ballot. The City Clerk has validated that the number of signatures collected by the campaign exceeds the number needed to appear on the ballot in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Citizens’ initiatives are exceedingly rare in South San Francisco. The grassroots campaign, comprised of parents, teachers, childcare providers, union leaders, and neighbors, ran a powerful, all-volunteer operation of door-to-door voter outreach, ultimately getting over 15% of all registered South City voters to sign their petition to not only fund free preschool for all, but also raise wages to a living wage for all workers who care for and teach the youngest members of the community.

“It’s past time for early care and education workers to win the living wage they deserve,” said Apollo Wallace, a long-time South City resident, campaign volunteer, and organizer with Teamsters Local 2785. “I’m proud that my city can create good new jobs that will provide working families like mine with a high-quality essential service.”

Wallace is one of dozens of residents, advocates, and teachers who participated in the all-volunteer drive. Currently, South San Francisco’s existing public preschool program has a four-year waitlist with over 700 families hoping to enroll. Because the cost of living in San Mateo County keeps rising, private options for preschool often cost more than $20,000 per year. “When my two kids were in Pre-K at the same time,” said Wallace, “we paid nearly $3,000 every month—money I would have rather spent on housing, or saved for their college.” Many families simply cannot afford preschool or childcare, which studies have shown results in worse outcomes for both the child and the community.

The historic ballot measure will:

The South San Francisco campaign joins a growing movement of other coalitions organizing for early care and education, most notably the grassroots victory of Measure 26-214 in Multnomah County, Oregon, in 2020, which established universal preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old.

Now that the measure has earned a place on the November ballot, the campaign will move on to voter outreach leading up to the election. The measure, which can be passed by a simple majority, has already been endorsed by AFSCME Local 829, UDW-CCPU, AFT 1493, CA Assemblymember Alex Lee (25th District), and South San Francisco City Councilmembers Eddie Flores (At Large) and James Coleman (District 4).

"Funding universal preschool and childcare for working families is simply good policy and is a win-win for everyone,” said Coleman, an early advocate of the campaign. “I hope this campaign serves as a model for other cities to invest in the next generation.”


Website: https://ece4allssf.org/

Facebook: Early Care and Education for All South San Francisco

Twitter: @ece4allssf

For more information please contact:

Doniella Maher, principal campaign officer: (916) 801-0378, doniellam@gmail.com

Chet Lexvold, campaign volunteer: (651) 380-2764, clexvold@gmail.com

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