Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Use of District-Discretionary Measure K Funds - Supervisorial District 4
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing a one-time grant of district-discretionary Measure K funds, not to exceed $164,000, to United through Education/Familias Unidas to provide parenting classes, taught in Spanish, in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven and East Palo Alto for the 2023-2024 school year, providing an exception to the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds to allow repeat funding within the current budget cycle, and authorizing the County Executive, or designee, to execute the grant agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty years.
On March 9, 2021, and March 23, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) held study sessions on Measure K expenditures and anticipated revenue for fiscal years (FY) 2021-23. The Board-appointed Measure K sub-committee, consisting of Supervisor Pine and Supervisor Canepa, convened the study sessions to, among other things, work with staff to facilitate the Board’s development of Measure K priorities and continuing initiatives for FYs 2021-23. The Board approved $5 million in one-time loans or grants for the FY 2021-23 budget cycle, divided equally among the five supervisorial districts, for district-discretionary needs and projects. District 4 has submitted a request to use their district-discretionary Measure K funds as shown below and described in the Project Summary section of this memorandum:
|
District/Project |
Amount |
|
District 4 (Supervisor Warren Slocum) - United through Education/Familias Unidas: to provide parenting classes, taught in Spanish, in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven and East Palo Alto for the 2023-2024 school year |
$164,000 |
This item is consistent with the criteria for district-discretionary Measure K funds approved by the Board in December 2018, with the following exception: the proposed grant, if approved, would be the second grant of district-discretionary funding to the same organization within the current budget cycle. The exception from the criteria is necessary in this instance because the need for parenting education classes taught in Spanish has grown, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the organization is expanding into vulnerable communities including East Palo Alto and Belle Haven.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
This is a request to authorize a grant to United through Education/Familias Unidas (Familias Unidas) and resulting grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $164,000 to provide parenting classes, taught in Spanish, in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven and East Palo Alto for the 2023-2024 school year. The County Executive’s Office will administer and manage the proposed agreement.
District-discretionary Measure K funding for this organization has previously been provided as listed below:
• On June 25, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding for United through Education/Familias Unidas in the amount of $30,000 for two 9-week in-person classroom parenting workshops for up to 20 families each.
• On August 4, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding for United through Education/Familias Unidas in the amount of $45,000 to provide virtual parenting classes to guide and support families through the transition to effective distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On August 3, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved district-discretionary Measure K funding for United through Education/Familias Unidas in the amount of $45,000 to provide parenting classes that help North Fair Oaks families and students return to in-person learning.
Familias Unidas’ mission is to create a better community, one family at a time. During the pandemic, Familias Unidas guided North Fair Oaks families through the educational challenges of virtual classes. Families Unidas saw that the pandemic created a new set of challenges for the families they serve to access necessary services, due to food insecurity and technology issues. By incorporating virtual tools and connecting with other community partners such as the Redwood City School District, Redwood City Library and Sequoia Dignity Health, Familias Unidas created their program to meet North Fair Oaks families’ challenges, helping parents help their children to achieve success.
Through their culturally responsive virtual 8-week course, Familias Unidas will continue to teach parents from underserved communities how to support and help their children achieve success, focusing on the academic, social, emotional and physical aspects of a healthy life. Each 2-hour session will provide focused lessons in supporting their children with reading, math, science, technology, social emotional life and physical and mental health. All of these tools help parents help their children achieve success in the classroom and in their community. Over 3,000 families in the Bay Area have graduated from United through Education courses since 2006. Courses are taught in Spanish.
The proposed Measure K grant will be used to provide partial support for 8 parenting workshop cohorts with 8 virtual sessions (taught in Spanish, and including one-on-one family support through an online platform) to serve at least 75 families total, at no cost to these local San Mateo County families (in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven, and East Palo Alto), during the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
Total Measure K Request: Not to Exceed $164,000
The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds for the purposes stated herein. The County will disburse the funds to the following organization for the purposes described above:
Secundino Zuno
President
United through Education/Familias Unidas
555 Bryant Street, #923
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 665-0122
secundinozuno@unitedthrougheducation.org <mailto:secundinozuno@unitedthrougheducation.org>
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
|
Description |
Target |
|
Provide virtual parenting classes, taught in Spanish, during the 2023-2024 school year for 75 families in North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven, and East Palo Alto. |
Complete |
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are sufficient Measure K funds for this specific FY 2022-23 Measure K request. These funds are budgeted in the Non-Departmental Services FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget.