Burlingame School District is asking voters on Nov. 3 to approve Measure R, a $100 million facilities bond aimed at repairing campuses that, in some cases, are more than 100 years old. The school board voted unanimously on June 9 to place the measure on the ballot. For more November contests, see our Nov. 3, 2026 Bay Area election guide.

What the bond would pay for

According to the district's local-funding materials and the Burlingame-Hillsborough Times' Oct. 9 summary of the official tax-rate statement and project list, Measure R could fund roof repairs; plumbing and electrical replacements; STEM lab upgrades; removal of dry rot, lead and asbestos; replacement of aging portable classrooms; and parking and traffic-flow improvements. Superintendent Marla Silversmith told the San Mateo Daily Journal in June that some school sites are over 100 years old, and one trustee framed the pitch as a "$100 million bond for the 100-year-old schools."

The Daily Journal reported that the board reviewed a project list covering modernization, replacing antiquated portable classrooms with permanent facilities, energy-efficient systems and infrastructure, and improving campus parking and traffic circulation. Priority would go to the most urgent needs, Silversmith said. Some projects could be delayed or left unfinished depending on costs and available funding, the Times noted.

What it would cost

The official tax-rate statement estimates an average of $16 per $100,000 of assessed value each year while bonds are outstanding. A home with a taxable assessed value of $500,000 would owe about $80 a year at that estimated rate. The tax is based on assessed value, not market price. The tax-rate statement projects collection through fiscal year 2057–58 and roughly $195.5 million in total repayment, including interest, if all bonds are issued and sold; actual rates and years can vary.

Bond proceeds would stay with the district. An independent citizens' oversight committee and annual audits would track spending. By law, bond money cannot pay regular teacher or administrator salaries or other operating expenses, though staff may be reimbursed for work on bond projects, according to the adopted measure as summarized by the Times.

How it fits with earlier local taxes

Voters previously approved a $56 million Measure M bond in 2016 and a $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 a year for academic programs, smaller classes and teacher retention. School construction bonds in California typically need 55% approval; San Mateo County's election page lists Measure R at that threshold. Vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election were mailed starting around Oct. 2.

  • Yes: Authorize $100 million in bonds and the property-tax levy for the listed facility work.
  • No: Leave the district without this bond package; deferred roof, systems and portable work stays on the list.

Full project lists, the tax-rate statement, impartial analysis and arguments are on San Mateo County's Nov. 3 election page and the district's local-funding materials.