Contact: Jeff Barbosa
(916) 319-2020

SACRAMENTO - School districts in high-cost areas throughout California might have an easier time attracting teachers to work in their classrooms if a bill by Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) is approved by the Legislature and signed into law.

AB 1112 passed its first committee today when the Senate Education Committee approved it 6-3.  The bill will allow school districts and community college district to place a bond measure before voters to use the proceeds to construct or acquire rental housing for their employees.

“Our teachers are often priced out of the cities where they work and forced to commute long distances to their schools,” Torrico said.  “By giving districts the ability to issue bonds for housing, their ability to recruit and retain quality staff will be enhanced.”

The sponsor of the bill, the New Haven Unified School District in Union City, is proposing to build a 150-unit apartment complex for teachers and district employees.  New Haven will use revenue from the apartment complex to provide a revenue stream independent of the state to support its school maintenance fund.

“A new local funding source will make these districts at least a little less vulnerable to state budget cuts,” Torrico said.

Under the bill, the local vote on the bonds would require two-thirds support to be approved and take effect.

The bill now goes to the Senate floor for approval.