SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A $3.2 billion measure hitting the November ballot could mean affordable housing for teachers among many other improvements for San Diego Unified schools.
“Honestly, the cost of rent continues to rise exponentially and so I think that’s a fact in not being able to attract enough educators to san diego unified," said Matthew Schneck, teacher.
Schneck has been teaching for the district for 12 years.
Despite knowing he's in the right field of work, he said he feels the impact of the staffing shortage.
Measure U would give an estimated two hundred million dollars towards affordable housing units to be built on district property.
It's something Schneck said is a creative solution to the challenge.
"I believe really strongly that we should be able to afford to live where we work. We shouldn’t have to look for places further away that would add to our commute times. So, it’s a creative solution considering how much land that the district has," said Schneck.
If the measure passes, Board Trustee Richard Barrera said the affordable housing units wouldn’t become a reality until at least three years after the vote.
Housing would be built in City Heights and University Heights.
Barrera said offering a solution to staffing in the measure was important and will impact current staff and even students.
"Let’s say we’ve got a tenth grader at hoover high school who really loves kids and sees teaching in their future and wants to pursue that as a career, but the one thing they’re really worried about is, 'Can I afford to live in San Diego?' For us, as a district, to have that young person really imagine a future as a teacher and to be back teaching in the schools that she may have attended is something that really improves the teaching profession," said Berrera.
The remaining bond dollars would go towards school security, building repairs and enhancements, and technology.
If passed, the measure would just continue the property tax homeowners are already paying which is about sixty dollars per every one hundred thousand dollars of your home's value. if it fails, your property taxes will go down by that much.
