Don’t let Tempe backslide on early learning; yes on 424

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What are your thoughts on Tempe Proposition 424, a half-cent sales tax increase, that goes to voters in November? Tell us in 300 words or less at yourvalley.net/letters, or email your comments, name, address and contact number to AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

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Enough is enough: Vote no on Tempe Prop. 424

OPINION — Education and Tempe’s kids have been the thread running through my whole life in this community, whether I was working at Tempe Union High School District, sitting on a nonprofit board or just showing up to advocate for Tempe kids.

Nothing has convinced me more of one simple truth: What happens before a child turns 5 shapes everything that comes after. That’s why Proposition 424 matters so much to me.

Tempe PRE isn’t a vague promise, it’s a real investment in early learning for children whose families couldn’t otherwise afford quality preschool.

I know too many kids arrive at kindergarten already behind, not because of anything they did wrong, but because they never had the early foundation their peers did. Closing that gap early is so much more effective and so much less costly than trying to fix it years later. This is one of the smartest investments a city and its citizens can make in its own future.

I’ll also say this: Education doesn’t happen in isolation from the rest of city life. Families must get their kids to preschool and school safely, which means transit and safe streets matter, too.

And a city can’t focus on its children’s futures if it’s constantly scrambling to cover basic public-safety needs. Prop. 424 recognizes that these pieces work together, funding transit and public safety alongside early education, rather than pitting them against each other.

Tempe is losing significant revenue that it used to rely on because of decisions made at the state level. This measure is a responsible, modest way to protect and expand on what our community has built. 

Not passing Prop. 424 may require budget cuts to Tempe PRE and public safety and that would be Tempe sliding backward. It is not acceptable.

I strongly encourage a yes vote on Prop. 424.

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