OCEANSIDE — Nearly $900,000 in Measure X funds will support several additional programs and organizations serving the city’s youth.
On Sept. 25, the Oceanside City Council unanimously approved 17 professional service agreements for youth programs operating during the current fiscal year.
Measure X — the city’s half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2018 to fund public safety programs, infrastructure, road repair and homeless aid — began funding youth services and programming in 2022.
According to city staff, the programs provide opportunities for Oceanside children and young adults to develop better decision-making and other life skills. Many of the children served come from neighborhoods impacted by gang violence and in schools where 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch programs.
Michele Gehr, the city’s management analyst overseeing Measure X funds for the youth services programs, explained the idea behind these programs is to reduce at-risk youth’s involvement in violent or risky behavior, reduce their risk of victimization, and have fewer contacts with law enforcement.
“Our programming that Measure X supports gives kids an alternative to violence,” Gehr said. “The emphasis is on community building — as we know from studies, if they feel like they’re a part of the community, often they do not engage in antisocial behavior. “
The city also encourages the building of social and emotional skills through its Measure X-funded youth programs.
“Most of our programs have a social and emotional skills component to them,” Gehr said. “We know kids repeat behavior that they see, so we’re showing them a different way is often very successful.”
Last fiscal year, Measure X funds supported 16 programs focusing on youth and projects that supported and served more than 2,500 young people.
According to staff, on average, youth who participated in Measure X programs increased their academic performance by one letter grade.
This year’s 17 new programs were vetted and chosen out of 21 applicants to receive funding by an independent, diverse committee of Oceanside residents:
- MiraCosta College – College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP)
- Boys & Girls Club Oceanside – Culinary Options and Opportunities for Kids (COOK)
- TrueCare – Mental Health Support
- Lifeline Community Services Gang Prevention
- Botanical Community Development Initiatives: Oceanside EcoCultural Pathways
- Vessels of Words
- Semper Kaizen
- Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER)
- Native Pathways
- North County LGBTQ Resource Center – Unicorn Homes
- Grupo Folklorico Tapatio of Oceanside
- Vista Community Clinic, Libby Lake
- Vista Community Clinic, Balderrama Park
- Lifeline Community Services, La Casita
- Lifeline Community Services, Club Crown Heights
- Lifeline Community Services, Crown Heights Mural Project
- Transformational Consulting
Gehr said youth services funded by Measure X provide more activities and programs in city parks and community centers, which helps to increase school attendance, improve academic performance, improve parent and student engagement, cultivate future community leadership and reduce police calls for service in targeted neighborhoods that see higher rates of youth violence.
Before unanimously approving the program funding, Mayor Esther Sanchez requested bumping up the funds for Native Pathways from $10,000 to at least $30,000. The group had initially requested $49,000.
Ultimately, there was only enough left to bump up Native Pathways’ funds to $20,000.
“We’ll work with them,” said City Manager Jonathan Borrego. “If they need additional money we could find it for them elsewhere.”
Before Measure X, the city could not provide as many new youth programs as it does now. This November, voters will decide on a 10-year sales tax extension.
Borrego noted that the city would likely have to reduce its youth programs if the sales tax extension didn’t pass.
