San Jose, CA ---- San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales announced that the City of San Jose has approved funding for the establishment of three more "San Jose Smart Start Centers" for early childhood education at two additional San Jose schools.

The San Jose City Council this week approved the agreements with the Santa Clara County Office of Education that call for the city to provide $1.2 million in capital funding for the new early education facilities.

Gonzales made the announcement today at the Washington Elementary School Smart Start Center where he was joined by the city’s smart start partners and education representatives.

"These agreements move us another step closer to achieving one of our key education goals so that every San Jose child is ready to learn when they enter school," said Gonzales. "It may be true that you have learned all you needed to know in kindergarten, but our kids will learn faster and better if they are ready when they get there."

One of the three new centers opened this month at McKinley Elementary School, and two additional centers will open by September at George Shirakawa Sr. and Hillsdale elementary schools. Together the three new Smart Start centers can serve approximately 300 pre-school children to prepare them for entering kindergarten successfully.

The City's first Smart Start Center opened in October 2000 at Washington Elementary School in cooperation with San Jose Unified School District and the Washington Neighborhood Health Center, one of eleven school-based health centers operated by The Health Trust.

The City of San Jose supports the capital funding for Smart Start facilities, and ongoing operations of the centers are handled by the city’s Smart Start partners, which include schools, Head Start, and other early education operators.

"Two years ago we committed that San Jose would build ten Smart Start centers by 2004, and we are on track to meet this goal," said the mayor. "I have proposed that we can double this goal for Smart Start centers so that we can make sure that 1,200 San Jose children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten every year."

San José Smart Start is a component of the Mayor’s Education Initiative to improve the quality of public education in San Jose. San José Smart Start is an educational collaborative involving schools, parents, early childhood development professionals, businesses, community-based organizations, and the City of San José.

Using and building on these community resources, San José Smart Start supports students in achieving school success. San Jose Smart Start Program provides a quality, state-licensed childhood development program for pre-school children so that they can enter kindergarten ready to learn.