Burlingame School District property owners would pay an estimated average of $16 per $100,000 of assessed value annually under Measure R, a $100 million school bond on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot, according to the official tax-rate statement.
The measure needs 55 percent approval to pass, according to San Mateo County’s election page. The county announced Oct. 2 that vote-by-mail ballots had been mailed.
Funding could cover roof repairs, plumbing and electrical replacements, STEM lab upgrades and removal of dry rot, lead and asbestos, according to the district’s local funding page. Some district campuses are more than 100 years old.
The school board unanimously approved placing the measure on the ballot June 9, BurlingameVoice reported. The project list also includes replacing aging portable classrooms and improving parking and traffic flow. Some projects could be delayed or left unfinished depending on costs and available funding.
What it would cost
The tax would be based on assessed value, not market value. A home with a taxable assessed value of $500,000 would owe about $80 annually at the estimated rate.
The tax-rate statement projects collection through fiscal year 2057–58 and approximately $195.5 million in total repayment, including interest, if all bonds are issued and sold. Actual tax rates and collection years could vary.
Funds would remain with the district, with an independent citizens’ oversight committee and annual audits tracking spending. Bond proceeds cannot fund regular teacher or administrator salaries or other school operating expenses, although district staff may be reimbursed for work on bond projects, according to the adopted measure.
Previous school funding
Voters previously approved the $56 million Measure M bond in 2016 and the $97 million Measure O bond in 2020. Measure R is separate from Measure GG, the eight-year parcel tax approved in 2024 that provides about $3.6 million annually for academic programs, smaller classes and teacher retention, according to BurlingameVoice.
Voters can review the full project list, tax-rate statement, impartial analysis and arguments for and against Measure R through the county’s official election page.
