San Mateo-Foster City Schools Ask Voters to Approve $498M Measure W Bond on Nov. 3

by Chris Renois

Property owners in San Mateo and Foster City will see a school bond on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Measure W would allow the San Mateo-Foster City School District to issue up to $498 million in bonds. The district serves students from preschool through eighth grade. According to the district, the main uses would be replacing windowless and outdated classrooms, building new science, music and career-technical spaces, and creating workforce housing for teachers and staff.

Here is what the measure does, what it would cost property owners, and what buyers and sellers may want to keep in mind.

What Measure W would authorize

According to the ballot question published by Local News Matters, Measure W would authorize $498,000,000 in bonds at a levy of $29 per $100,000 of assessed value. That would raise an average of about $35 million a year while the bonds are outstanding. Patch's voter guide reports that the district expects bond payments could continue through fiscal year 2054-55. The money could not be used for regular operating costs or salaries. Like most California school facility bonds, Measure W needs 55% of the vote to pass.

The district's bond information page says the Board of Trustees ordered the election through Resolution No. 06/25-26. Under state law, oversight would include an independent citizens' oversight committee and annual audits.

Which schools and projects are on the list

The district's bond page lists these priority projects:

Career-technical, science and music space at Abbott Middle School
Replacing "pod" buildings at Audubon and San Mateo Park
A new science, music and library building at Bayside, and a science, music, library and administration building at Borel
Rebuilding the Bowditch campus
Districtwide work on fire alarms, roofing, windows, painting, furniture, classroom technology and libraries
Workforce housing

The district's estimated priority budget includes:

Workforce housing: $100 million
Replacing windowless classrooms: $84 million
Science, music and career-technical education: $69 million
Bowditch campus rebuild: $59 million
Classroom and site modernizations: $49 million
Furniture: $38 million
Painting: $31 million

These figures come from the district's Facilities Master Plan. The San Mateo Daily Journal reported that the board approved the plan on January 22, 2026. The plan found nearly $1.1 billion in total needs across 21 school campuses, a preschool center, a closed school and three administrative sites. At the time, Amy Ruffo, the district's executive director of Facilities and Construction, told the paper the plan lined up with priorities like windowless classrooms but was "not yet an implementation plan." We did not find a published construction schedule for individual campuses.

Bowditch Middle School in Foster City is already partly rebuilt. The Daily Journal reported that a new gym, classrooms and library opened there in May 2026, funded by the earlier bond. The master plan calls for a next phase that would demolish about two-thirds of the original buildings to make room for a turf field and outdoor courts.

The workforce housing piece

The district says part of the money would convert district sites that are no longer in use into below-market rental housing for teachers and staff. It mentions redeveloping a closed school site or other district property as a possibility. The district's workforce housing page says a board subcommittee recommended in February 2026 continued exploration of workforce housing at the Knolls Campus only. No unit count or construction timeline has been confirmed. Neighbors of district-owned property may want to follow board agendas for details.

How it fits with earlier bonds

San Mateo-Foster City voters passed Measure X ($148 million) in 2015 and Measure T ($409 million) in 2020. The Daily Journal reported in May 2026 that Measure X was effectively all spent and about 75% of Measure T had been spent. The district also says it may qualify for about $53 million in additional state matching funds. When the district surveyed voters in August 2025, about 57% said they would support a $498 million measure, according to the Daily Journal.

What it could cost you

The tax is based on your assessed value on the county tax roll, not your home's market value. Under Proposition 13, assessed value generally starts at your purchase price and can rise by no more than 2% a year. At the district's estimated $29 per $100,000:

A $600,000 assessed value would pay about $174 a year
A $1.2 million assessed value would pay about $348 a year
A $2 million assessed value would pay about $580 a year

The district notes that state law doesn't allow senior exemptions on these bonds. It also says renters would not pay the tax.

A second bond on the same ballot: Measure V

Voters across San Mateo County will also decide Measure V, an $848 million bond for the San Mateo County Community College District. That district runs College of San Mateo, Cañada College and Skyline College in San Bruno. According to the Palo Alto Daily Post, Measure V would extend an existing levy of about $18 per $100,000 of assessed value rather than add a new one. The levy would last until about 2049. The Almanac reported a lower estimate of $10.50 per $100,000 that could rise to $18. Check the official voter guide for the final figures. Measure V also needs 55% to pass.

What homeowners, buyers and sellers may want to do

Homeowners: Find your assessed value on your current property tax bill and multiply to estimate the cost. Voter-approved bond taxes appear as separate line items on your county tax bill.
Buyers: Your assessed value will generally reset to your purchase price. Budget for these line items when you estimate your monthly payment, and ask your lender to use realistic tax figures.
Sellers: Buyers often ask about the tax bill, so it helps to have your current bill handy.
Small landlords: If you have questions about passing costs through to tenants or about deductions, talk to a tax professional or attorney.

Your official county voter guide will include the full text of both measures, an impartial analysis, and the arguments for and against.

Sources

Thinking about buying or selling in the Bay Area? Chris Renois can walk you through how these changes affect your home and your plans. Call or text (650) 512-9817, email chrisrenois@therealexperts.com, or get a free home value estimate.

This article is general information for Bay Area homeowners and buyers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws, rates and deadlines change; please confirm details with the original sources linked above or a qualified professional. Chris Renois, California DRE #02030130.