Education Opportunities Committee highlights programs to re-engage "opportunity youth" and calls for better data

The Education Opportunities Committee on Feb. 6 heard a series of briefings on city programs intended to reconnect 16‑ to 24‑year‑old “opportunity youth” with education and work, and members pressed staff for better data and geographic mapping to guide budget priorities.

Rebecca Flores, who oversees the Children and Youth Success Team at the Department of Human Services, described the city’s Next Level Youth Opportunity Center and the San Antonio Opportunity Youth Collaborative. Flores said San Antonio has roughly 36,000 opportunity youth—about 13–14% of people ages 16–24—and that the city’s Next Level center (opened 2019 at the Frank Garrett Multi Service Center in District 1) provides wraparound services with partners including United Way, Goodwill San Antonio and Communities In Schools. "If you do outreach to 100 youth, 50 will enroll in your program...and from that 50, 25 will enroll in school and get employed," Flores said, adding that "we lose about 50% at every step," a reality she said makes sustained outreach and case management essential.

Katie Kepler, juvenile court manager for the municipal court’s juvenile section, outlined diversionary case pathways and truancy prevention services. Kepler said the state’s 2025 youth diversion law allows eligible youth to have cases dismissed the day they participate in diversion. Her office runs teen court, community service placements and reengagement dockets; she reported that about "79 percent of the cases that have closed were closed successfully" in the diversion program and that roughly 209 students have been confirmed re‑enrolled this year after outreach.

Sarah Sharp, a recreation manager with Parks & Recreation, reviewed a newly developed youth services master plan, described a portfolio of roughly 30 community centers and dozens of pool and natural‑area programs, and highlighted low‑cost and free out‑of‑school programming (including a sliding scale for an eight‑week summer camp and $3‑a‑day holiday camps). Sharp also emphasized seasonal hiring needs: lifeguards are eligible starting at age 16 and the department is actively recruiting young employees who could be routed to entry positions through Ready to Work and Next Level.

Michael Senden of the Workforce Development Office briefed the committee on the Ready to Work program’s eligibility and outcomes for 18–24‑year‑olds and on apprenticeship expansion. Senden said 18–24 participants account for about 25% of intakes and that Ready to Work secured an Apprenticeship Building America grant from the U.S. Department of Labor totaling $2.9 million over three years that will sunset in June 2026 to grow pre‑apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs.

Council members used the presentations to press for concrete next steps. Councilwoman Munguia and others asked staff to produce citywide maps zoomed to show gaps by ZIP code and to overlay program locations with disconnection rates. Council member Gore and others said centralized, ZIP‑code level data and shared enrollment lists would help target funding and recruit participants. Council member Castillo asked for data on how many Ready to Work participants are justice‑involved and whether apprenticeship slots lead to higher‑wage union jobs.

While no formal policy was voted on at the briefing, the committee expressed broad support for improved data integration across departments and for continued investment alignment during upcoming budget discussions. Chair Galvan asked staff to pursue follow‑up on sharing data by ZIP code and engaging school district superintendents to better coordinate referrals and resources.

The committee adjourned at 11:42 a.m.