The housing situation is so dire that San Jose is considering turning schools into teacher housing

Leland High School in San Jose is one of nine sites (eight schools and one district office) being considered in a preliminary proposal to build affordable housing for teachers. Leland High School in San Jose is one of nine sites (eight schools and one district office) being considered in a preliminary proposal to build affordable housing for teachers. Photo: Google Maps Screen Grab Photo: Google Maps Screen Grab Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close The housing situation is so dire that San Jose is considering turning schools into teacher housing 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

The outlandish price of housing in the Bay Area has forced out artists, young people, even local TV news stars, and pretty much everyone in between. Teachers are, of course, no exception and the South Bay's largest school district is feeling the squeeze.

According to Glassdoor, the average teacher salary in San Jose is about $70,000. Meanwhile, the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment hovers around $2,400, according to Rent Cafe, and the median home price is just under $1.1 million, according to Zillow.

That cost has proven too much time and time again for San Jose Unified teachers. One in seven teachers at the district have to be replaced every year, Superintendent Stephen McMahon told City Lab.

"We're losing dozens when they find out about the cost of living. We're losing even more when they want to start a family," McMahon said in a press conference.

To mitigate the problem, the district is considering turning schools with declining enrollment or aging buildings into sites for new housing. Under the preliminary plan, the schools would be rebuilt on nearby vacant sites or students may be reallocated to other schools.

But not everyone is on board with the district's proposal. Hundreds showed up to a recent community meeting to voice their disapproval, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Some of the strongest opposition has come from people who live in San Jose's Almaden Valley neighborhood, where two of the eight schools being considered are located: Leland High School and Bret Harte Middle School.

"It is ridiculous," former Leland football coach Mike Carrozzo told the Mercury News. "You're going to build low-income housing in one of the more prosperous areas in the Bay Area, which also happens to be the furthest corner of the district for district teachers. It's crazy."

Comments on a Change.org petition to save the two schools echoes those sentiments. One reads:

"Taking away two fantastic neighborhood schools to bring in low income housing is absolutely ridiculous. There are plenty of other places in San Jose to build. This would devalue home prices in the area significantly. This isn't really a consideration, is it?"

The petition also argues the new location (further south near Challenger School on McKean Road) would be too remote for kids to walk to school and cause traffic backups on one-lane roads.

McMahon and other teachers say they're surprised by the backlash. The superintendent summarized to City Lab how teachers have been feeling about the outcry:

"I'm a person who works with your kid every day. You trust me with your student in my classroom but I'm not good enough to be your neighbor?"

The San Jose Unified Board of Education has a meeting open to the public scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at its district office, which by the way, is also under consideration as a site to be bulldozed and converted into homes for teachers.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.

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