SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A South Bay school district is uniquely trying to navigate the skyrocketing cost of living in the Bay Area.
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The Milpitas Unified School District has sent a letter to parents asking those with spare bedrooms to rent out the space to teachers in an effort to curb expenses for educators and entice them to stay at its schools.
The school district said in the letter that seven teachers left the district at the end of the 2021-2022 school year to move to more "affordable communities."
According to Milpitas Superintendent Cheryl Jordan, 52 people have responded and expressed interest in renting out their available rooms.
"This is evidence that our entire MUSD Team, which includes our teachers and classified support staff, is valued by our Milpitas community members, parents and caregivers," Jordan said in an emailed statement to KCBS Radio. "This is just one way we, as a district and as a community, are working to recruit, retain and support our amazing MUSD educators who may need assistance in finding a place to call home."
The district added they are also continuing to explore other housing opportunities for educators such as Accessory Dwelling Units, private homeowners with rooms to rent, coordinating with agencies specializing in educator and city worker home loans such as Landed, and discussions about including workforce housing with potential developers coming to Milpitas.
The city's board of education on Aug. 23 unanimously approved a resolution recognizing the high cost of living as an issue in keeping educators at its schools. Officials wrote that the gap between those who can afford housing in the Bay Area and those who cannot is "widening at an alarming rate," forcing some district employees to work additional part-time jobs and other needing "significant assistance" to afford rent.
A teacher salary breakdown provided to KRON by MUSD revealed that a teacher with a degree and an additional 30 units, which is what many enter the district with, makes an estimated salary of $68,121.
The average rent for an apartment in Milpitas is $3,017 per month, according to Rent Cafe.
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