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Dear neighbors,
It was great seeing so many of you at last weekend’s Coffee with a Councilmember in Japantown! If you weren’t able to make it, we already have our next one planned for March at Café do Canto in Little Portugal.
I'm also excited to share that our District 3 office is growing. Please join me in welcoming our new Council Assistants, Dominic and Emma, to our District 3 team! Their addition to our office will help us deliver the high standard of service that our District 3 neighbors deserve.
As we head into March and the City’s budget process, we’ll be keeping you updated here on how to keep informed and involved.
Yours in community,
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Heads up! The deadline for ideas for this year’s participatory budgeting is Friday, March 27th. This program began with Councilmember Peralez’s D3 Decides, which brought residents together to decide how to spend part of a public budget.
As a reminder, the participatory budget enables our office, in partnership with D3 communities, to invest in one-time projects to improve safety and quality of life throughout the district. Examples of previous D3 Decides investments include safety improvements like crosswalks and improved street lighting, beautification projects like art boxes and murals, and grants to schools, libraries, and parks.
You can submit your ideas here. My team will be going over them and presenting options in April as part of our Budget Town Hall. Stay tuned for details!
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Lower Income Voucher and Equity (LIVE) Program
On Tuesday, Council authorized the City to master-lease 197 units at The Faye in the SoFA District for a pilot Lower Income Voucher and Equity (LIVE) program, with a preference for public employees. The building is currently sitting 60% vacant, with all vacancies in the 1 and 2 bedroom units, where the vouchers will be focused. This innovative program will create new affordable housing options for residents who work downtown while ensuring the city not only recoups its investment but collects interest that can then be invested again into other housing solutions. This builds on the work my office did in October of last year in creating a tenant preference program for local artists at Gateway Tower.
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My office has continued to monitor the Schools of Tomorrow process through the lens of how it will impact families here in District 3. Thank you to all the parents who have reached out to me and my team to keep us informed about how this process has been impacting you and your families. I share your concerns about how these changes will affect the ability of families to get to school safely, how school closures downtown will impact future families as downtown continues to be the epicenter of housing growth, and how D3 families will continue to have access to programs like special education, two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI), and before and after school care for children of working parents.
At this week’s meeting on February 24, the Schools of Tomorrow Implementation Committee (STIC) eliminated several options and asked staff to return with one more option. Here’s how elementary schools attended by students in District 3 could be impacted by the options currently on the table:
Option 1.2:
- Anne Darling would close, students would move to Empire Gardens
- Bachrodt would close, students would move to Grant
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Lowell would close, students in Special Day Classes would move to Horace Mann, all others would relocate based on Option 1.2 on this map
- Olinder would close, all students would move to Horace Mann
Option 2.2:
- Bachrodt would close, all students would move to Grant
- Empire Gardens would close, all students would move to Anne Darling
- Lowell would close, students in Special Day Classes would move to Horace Mann, all others would move to Ernesto Galarza
- Olinder would close, all students would move to Horace Mann
Option 5.2:
- Empire Gardens would close, all students would move to Anne Darling
- Grant would close, all students would move to Bachrodt
- Lowell would close, all students would move to Gardner
- Olinder would close, all students would move to Horace Mann
At the March 3 meeting, the STIC is aiming to determine which option to recommend to the Board of Education (the STIC will schedule an additional meeting if necessary).
As a reminder, SJUSD has also added Schools of Tomorrow Public Hearings as Special Sessions of the Board of Education at the district office at the following dates and times:
Tuesday, March 3: 4:30 pm to 5:45 pm
Saturday, March 7: 9:00 am, no set end time
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Traffic Signal Improvements: Community Meeting
The City of San José is upgrading the traffic signals on First St. & Virginia St. and Seventh St & Reed St to improve safety for people who walk, bike and drive, in the neighborhood. Come to our community meeting on March 25th from 6 pm to 7 pm at the Biblioteca Latino Americana. You can learn more about the project here.
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Small Business Startup Grant
The City of San José is offering funding to support early-stage small businesses. Eligible businesses can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to help cover start-up costs such as licensing, equipment purchases, staff recruitment, or loan down payments. The program is open to for-profit businesses registered in San José with fewer than 35 employees. Click here to learn more.
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PRNS Summer Jobs
Your summer job just dropped! PRNS is hiring camp counselors and part-time recreation leaders. These are great opportunities to spend your summer outside, lead activities, support events, and create welcoming spaces for San José families. Apply today at bit.ly/PRNSJOBS
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Climate Smart San José Survey
As we continue moving toward our climate goals, the Climate Smart San José team is launching the 2026 Climate Smart San José Survey to help us understand what residents know about Climate Smart, what actions you’re already taking, and what challenges might be getting in the way.
Complete the Climate Smart Survey by March 31, 2026. The survey is offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win Climate Smart bundles, which include San José merch and eco-friendly items.
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Dumpster Day Volunteers: McKinley Bonita
The McKinley Bonita Neighborhood is looking for volunteers for their Dumpster Day on Saturday, March 21st. You can click here to sign up!
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San José Youth Commission Budget Priorities Summit
The Budget Summit, hosted on Saturday, February 28th, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM is crucial in ensuring youth civic power at the local level and informing the City of San José Youth Commission about the needs and priorities of local youth. The Youth Commission will gather input from this Youth Participatory Budgeting Program pilot to request upwards of $10,000 from the city to fund youth-ideated and youth-voted projects from City Council.
This event features presentations, discussions about city departments and their funding, Youth Commissioner introductions, and more! Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Please register as soon as possible before registration is filled.
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Apply for the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury
Apply for the 2026–27 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury by March 27, 2026. Serve your community by helping ensure local institutions operate fairly and transparently.
Learn more and apply: santaclara.courts.ca.gov/CGJ
| | | We celebrated Black History Month at City Hall by raising the Pan-African flag! Thank you to Councilmembers Kamei and Casey for hosting this year’s observance and giving us the opportunity to honor the contributions and strengths of our Black community. | | Thank you to Roy’s Station for hosting us at this month’s Coffee with a Councilmember! We had a great turnout. My team and I appreciated the opportunity to listen to your concerns and loop us in on what our office is working on. | | Do you have an event you'd like to share with our D3 neighbors? Send the details to district3@sanjoseca.gov for consideration in our newsletter! | | | | |
