Oakland and First 5 Alameda County launched a public dashboard tracking early-education spending from the Oakland Children’s Initiative, the 2018 parcel tax known as Measure AA, the agencies announced Nov. 9. The Oaklandside reported the launch the next day.
Why it matters: First 5 said the Early Education Fund had invested $52.9 million from fiscal 2022-23 through 2025-26, reaching about 7,800 children and supporting 658 early educators. The Oaklandside described the total as more than $53 million. Measure AA is a $198-per-parcel tax meant to raise about $48 million a year, with roughly two-thirds for early education and one-third for college access. The new dashboard covers only the early-education share.
For 2025-26, the Oaklandside said the initiative made more than 3,300 early-learning slots available and that about 2,700 were filled, with the largest numbers of children reached in deep East Oakland neighborhoods including Sobrante Park, Elmhurst, Eastmont, Millsmont and Fruitvale. First 5 said enrollment among 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families grew 46%, from 1,400 to 2,042, and that 34 Oakland Unified early-education sites received facility improvements.
“Oakland voters made a promise to our youngest residents in 2018, and they have a right to see how it is being kept,” Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement released by both the city partners and The Oaklandside. The dashboard is at First 5’s website. Staff retention at supported sites was 83% in 2025-26, The Oaklandside said, while overall staffing has risen 22% since 2022-23.