What role do neighborhood schools play in our community?

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Our elementary and middle schools in San Mateo and Foster City provide students with a well-rounded, rigorous elementary and middle school education. Neighborhood schools seek to inspire students ranging from the youngest preschool learners to graduating eighth graders, ready for success in high school and beyond. Cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction, College and Career Ready Lab program, and exceptional teachers ensure that every student receives an education that is broad in scope yet high in quality. Strong schools help sustain property values throughout the community. 

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What are some challenges to maintaining high-quality student instruction?

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Many classrooms were built 70 years ago for a different era of instruction and fail to meet modern educational and safety standards.

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Students also lack access to modern shop classrooms, technology, and labs that prepare them for success in high school, college, and later careers. 

 

Several older school sites are aging and pose safety and security risks. Some school campuses have leaky roofs and old windows. Many campuses have fire alarms that are 25 years old and outdated emergency communication systems. 

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Specifically, what projects will Measure W fund?

 

If approved by local voters, funding from Measure W could be used to:

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• Replace leaky roofs and old windows

• Restore shop classes with tools and equipment for modern skilled trades and career technical education

• Update classrooms and labs for science, technology, engineering, and math

• Update 25-year-old fire alarms and emergency communication systems

• Provide affordable housing to attract and retain high quality teachers and staff

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How do we know Measure W funds will be spent wisely?

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By law, Measure W requires strict accountability protections, including:

 

• Independent citizens’ oversight committee, mandatory annual audits, and public disclosure of all spending will be required to ensure that funds are spent as voters intended

• No funds can be used for administrators’ salaries or pensions

• All funds from a local bond measure can only be used to repair and upgrade San Mateo-Foster City School District schools and cannot be taken away by the State

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How much would Measure W cost?

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Measure W would cost property owners $29 per $100,000 of assessed home value. Assessed value is typically much lower than the market value of the home, meaning longtime homeowners would pay less. Renters would be exempt.

 

 

What is the difference between assessed value and market value?

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The cost of bond measures like Measure W is based on the assessed value of properties. The assessed value of a property is based on the original purchase price and may not increase by more than 2% a year, while the market value tends to grow at a much faster rate based on market conditions. Thus, the assessed value is usually much lower than the market value, especially if a property was purchased long ago at a significantly lower price than it could be purchased for today. It is this lower assessed value upon which the cost of a bond measure is based.

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Is there a senior exemption?

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State law prohibits senior exemptions on bond measures. Bonds issued under Measure W would be payable from the proceeds of an annual ad valorem property tax levied on all taxable property within the District. However, this bond measure would comply with Prop 13. Proposition 13 requires that property taxes are based on the original purchase price of a home, subject to annual increases not to exceed 2%, not its current market value. That means long-time homeowners generally pay significantly less in property taxes than they would if the bond were based on the home’s market value.

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Will all funds benefit local schools only?

 

Yes. All funds will be locally controlled and will benefit local elementary and middle schools only in San Mateo and Foster City. Every penny will be spent on San Mateo Foster City School District schools only. No funding can be taken away by the State or used for other purposes. 

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Will any Measure W funding go toward recruiting and retaining high-quality local teachers and staff?

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Yes. Some funding from the will go towards converting existing District sites that are not currently in use into affordable housing for teachers and staff. This would provide approximately 80 units of affordable workforce housing for teachers and school staff on District-owned property that is currently not being used. 

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As the housing crisis in the Bay Area worsens, San Mateo-Foster City School teachers and staff are struggling to afford rent. Housing costs have become a significant challenge for local schools.  In fact, eight out of every ten teachers that leave the District cite cost of living as their reason for leaving. The high cost of living is pushing education away from the communities they work in and makes it harder for our schools to attract and retain great teachers. 

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The availability of affordable and local housing is a major factor when educators are deciding where to work. Redeveloping a closed school site or district property for teachers and staff to rent at affordable rates will help the District in its efforts to recruit and retain its teachers and staff, reduce staff turnover, and ensure students benefit from consistent, experienced teachers. The District has conducted extensive studies and community outreach on providing workforce housing. 

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The District has spent more than a year studying workforce housing, including convening a task force, surveying more than 600 employees, evaluating potential sites, and learning from other school districts that have developed workforce housing. More information is available here.

 

 

Why is the District building housing for teachers and school staff?

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San Mateo and Foster City are among the most expensive places to live in the Bay Area, making it difficult for many teachers and school employees to afford housing near the schools where they work. Some employees must live far from the District and face long daily commutes.

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This isn't a new approach. Other Bay Area school districts have pursued workforce housing to address the same recruitment and retention challenges. Nearby Jefferson Union High School District, for example, developed workforce housing for teachers and other school employees. The San Mateo-Foster City School District studied Jefferson Union's experience, along with workforce housing efforts in other communities, as part of its own planning process.

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By converting approximately 80 affordable units on District-owned property that is not being used, SMFCSD can use an asset it already owns to help attract and retain the teachers and school staff who serve local students.

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Is the workforce housing for District administrators?

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No. The approximately 80 units are intended to provide affordable workforce housing for teachers and other school staff—not District administrators. The purpose of the project is to address housing affordability among the employees who work directly in and support our schools, helping the District recruit and retain a stable, high-quality workforce.

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Measure W funds also cannot be used for administrator salaries or pensions.

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How were the District's facility needs evaluated?

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SMFC conducted an extensive Facilities Master Plan and consulted outside experts to determine safety and modernization need at each school site. Information about the plan, including projects for each school site, can be found HERE. 

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Didn’t we already pass a bond measure to improve the San Mateo-Foster City School District?

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In 2020, local voters approved Measure T, a bond to update outdated heating and cooling systems, repair outdated electrical systems, and remodel deteriorating bathrooms. Every dollar from Measure T was spent on voter-approved projects, with all work completed on time and on budget.

 

Independent annual audits have consistently confirmed that Measure T funds were managed responsibly and used as promised. Full reports on Measure T’s projects can be found on the District’s website. The District worked to maximize State-matching funds to complete the projects promised under Measure T. By actively pursuing State-matching funds, the District is eligible to receive an additional $53 million, reducing the financial burden on local taxpayers.

 

The 2026 measure is subject to the same fiscal accountability provisions as Measure T. All funds will stay local for use at San Mateo-Foster City Schools only and are subject to a voter-approved project list and independent annual audits. Because the State of California provides no dedicated funding to repair, maintain, or upgrade school facilities, local bond measures remain the only mechanisms for school districts to receive reliable, consistent funding for school improvements.