♪♪ Annc: First year math teacher, Kevin Tan, is excited about what he does.

Kevin: But then you can also factor that out.

So, it's the reverse thing... Annc: Including the lesson plans he hashes out with colleagues.

It's been a blast so far.

I was working in tech for a few years, but then I found out that that wasn't really what my passion was.

I love just the act of teaching, just inspiring the future generations of mathematical critical thinkers.

Annc: But Tan's enthusiasm is not shared by everyone.

One reason: teacher salaries.

According to U.C.

Berkeley housing expert, Jeff Vincent.

Jeff: Half the school districts in California have an annual teacher turnover rate of 12% or more, and some as high as 20 to 25%.

The rising cost of living, particularly housing, is really helping to fuel that.

Annc: Now, some California school districts are addressing those high housing costs head on.

Tan and other educators are tenants at this new affordable housing unit in Daly City, built just for school employees within the Jefferson Union district.

Rents are about half the price of the comparable housing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Kevin: That way we can stay close to our schools.

We could stay close to our community.

Andy: This building has 122 units.

The one bedroom units start around $1,350 per month.

The two bedroom units average around $1,890 per month, and the three bedroom units start at around $2,400 per month.

Kevin: Money is a really big issue here in the Bay Area.

Marlene: There came a point when I was really considering getting a second job, but I was so tired already.

Annc: The housing unit was built atop the old Serramonte del Rey High School's lot, which closed years ago.

District board member Andy Lie hoped the empty space would somehow be the game changer the district desperately needed.

Andy: 35% were intending to leave the school district within the next five years due to the cost of housing.

We knew that in order for us to be competitive and to be able to retain staff, we needed to offer something other than just salaries.

Annc: The idea came from the nearby San Mateo Community College District, which was beginning to successfully create affordable staff housing on two of its campuses.

School officials say while it seemed like the perfect solution, they still had cut through years of red tape.

Andy: Everything from the... from the... from looking at the feasibility studies on what could be built at the site to determining how many units there should be to determining, uh, whether we put a bond measure on the ballot or not, how we were going to fund it.

In 2018, we put measure J on the ballot as a bond for $33 million that was approved at about 55.8%.

I'm still amazed that what I thought was a pipe dream seven years ago is a reality today.

Annc: Across California, there are four other affordable housing properties on school district land.

Teachers and staff can typically stay at least five years.

As for future affordable housing projects... Jeff: It's gonna take a long time.

You're figuring out which properties can work, you're working with your community, you are assembling the financing to do so.

Annc: In San Francisco, extensive and complex regulations meant it took 20 years before its district was able to break ground.

Jeff: There's a... a big learning curve on this.

Most school districts in California, do not have the in-house expertise of how to do housing development and think about real estate in this way.

Annc: Vincent heads UC Berkeley's Center for Cities and Schools, which researched ways to streamline the process.

Jeff: One of the things we found in our research is that many properties or neighborhoods in California are zoned for single family residences, and often in order for, uh, affordable housing to pencil out it has to be a little bit higher density, right?

Annc: With his recommendation, Assembly Bill 2295 became law in 2022.

It eliminates school districts from most zoning regulations.

Jeff: It opens up a lot of possibility with sites across the state.

Annc: And that's good news for districts looking to experience the success Jefferson Union has had with its affordable housing.

Andy: From the results that we're seeing now, it's certainly been a win all the way across.

Annc: As a result, the district was fully staffed during the 2022-23 school year for the first time in many years.

It was a big relief for veteran science teacher Marlene Gutierrez, who has witnessed countless colleagues leave the district.

Marlene: It also boosts your confidence, your morale that now, uh, teachers want to stay in our district.

This housing is really a big game changer.

Andy: It's been really incredible to see the kind of community that's... that's developed.

Marlene: In this second floor alone there are two chemistry teachers.

It's fun.

It's actually fun.

We are a family.

Annc: There is growing interest in turning school property into housing for educators and staff.

California schools own more than 7,000 properties and 75,000 acres of land suitable for development.

With every parcel at least one acre or larger.

A UCLA report says more than 60% of those properties are in regions where entry level teachers face housing challenges.

A newly signed law in effect in 2024 helps school districts develop those properties by allowing educator and staff housing to be built on school owned property without requiring the district to request zoning changes from the city or county.