OCEANSIDE — The city has selected 14 youth programs aimed at keeping kids out of trouble while helping them develop important life skills to receive a share of Measure X funding in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Oceanside City Council unanimously agreed on June 17 to distribute $714,470 from Measure X, the city’s half-cent sales tax initiative first approved by voters in 2018 and renewed in 2024, among the programs.
Over the winter, the city issued a request for proposals from organizations seeking Measure X funding to provide prevention, education, workforce development and other after-school and extracurricular activities for Oceanside students. The city received 21 proposals and ultimately selected 14 recipients.
According to Michelle Gehr, the city’s management analyst overseeing Measure X funds, proposals were evaluated based on organizational history, capacity, the populations served, geographic location and program design.
Gehr said the process ensures that “kids in Oceanside are getting the best of the best.”
The selected programs include:
- Vista Community Clinic’s Project REACH, an after-school mentorship program offered at the city’s Libby Lake and John Landes community centers;
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego’s Culinary Options and Opportunities for Kids (COOK) program, which provides teens with paid culinary training and entrepreneurial experience through operation of “The Lunch Box” food truck, which serves free meals to local youth;
- Oceanside Theatre Company’s Theatre to Thrive, an after-school theater program;
- Project Next’s Focused Future program at El Camino High School, which helps students prepare for life after graduation;
- TrueCare’s Puzzling Minds program, which provides educational workshops focused on emotional and psychological wellness;
- Un Mar de Colores’ Ocean Stewards program, which offers academic support, environmental education and opportunities for Oceanside teens to build a stronger connection to the ocean;
- Grupo Folklórico Tapatío de Oceanside, a traditional Mexican dance group that promotes Mexican culture, history and dance traditions at both John Landes and the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center;
- Botanical Community Development Initiatives’ Reaching Roots program, which aims to connect local youth to the land, cultural knowledge and one another;
- Lifeline Community Services’ Club Crown Heights, an after-school prevention program that includes La Escuelita for high school students and La Casita for younger children;
- North County LGBTQ Resource Center’s Project Youth, which supports LGBTQ youth, and its Unicorn Homes program, which provides transitional housing for homeless or at-risk LGBTQ youth;
- Poseiden Foundation’s “What’s Your Superpower?” program, a skateboarding-focused youth empowerment and sobriety initiative; and
- Native Pathways, a Native American-led nonprofit supporting Indigenous arts and education.
Additionally, the city allocated another $290,000 in Measure X funding to city-run after-school programs, including $100,000 for the Oceanside Public Library, $120,000 for Parks and Recreation, and $70,000 for the Oceanside Police Department’s at-risk youth program.
Altogether, the city is investing just over $1 million in Measure X funding into youth programs during the 2026-27 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Though the funding received unanimous council approval, some council members questioned why certain after-school programs received more funding than others.
Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce suggested amending the motion to provide additional funding to Club Crown Heights, saying he believed it received less funding than comparable programs. The suggestion ultimately failed to gain support from the rest of the council.
Staff explained that programs at John Landes and Libby Lake received additional funding to help cover overhead and facility rental costs.
“It’s important to me that whatever Libby Lake and John Landes are receiving that Lifeline is receiving equal,” said Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa, who previously worked for Project REACH Libby Lake and represents the John Landes community in District 3. “I’m sitting here looking at this, asking why they are receiving $12,000 less, but if you’re saying that’s to cover the cost for the rent, then that makes sense.”
Gehr noted that all of the programs that applied were strong candidates, making it difficult for staff to determine both funding amounts and recipients.
“There just isn’t enough money to go around,” Gehr said, noting that staff ultimately prioritized programs addressing the most significant needs in their communities.
Joyce said Crown Heights is the city’s community with the highest levels of poverty.
“The need for childcare and empowerment and mentorship is the deepest where we have our deepest poverty,” said Joyce, who represents District 1, where Crown Heights is located.
Mayor Esther Sanchez noted that the city has invested significantly more in Crown Heights than Measure X funding alone, including renovations currently underway at the community resource center.
Councilmember Peter Weiss reminded the council that the city’s decision to select Interfaith Community Services over the San Diego Rescue Mission to operate the Oceanside Navigation Center increased costs to Measure X.
“When we decided to evict the San Diego Rescue Mission from the navigation center, we added a $1.6 million hit to Measure X,” Weiss said. “Had we not done that, those funds would be available for youth programs. By doing that, we impacted other programs that otherwise may have been funded.”
