City Measures E, H and G have passed on the March 3 ballot.

All three were put forward by the Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, Board of Education.

Measure E: Berkeley Public Schools Educator Recruitment and Retention Act of 2020 (BERRA) – Passed 

Berkeley residents voted to pass Measure E, the Berkeley Public Schools Educator Recruitment and Retention Act of 2020, with 78.46% of the vote as of press time.

The measure aims to “recruit and retain qualified teachers and prevent shortages of essential school staff,” according to the measure’s text, by funding a 7% pay increase for classified staff and teachers. Pay levels in BUSD are currently below average compared to other East Bay school districts, according to the Committee for Berkeley Public Schools website, and this measure will bring the pay grade closer to average.

It will apply a parcel tax of 12.4 cents per square foot for 12 years. The tax will have annual cost-of-living adjustments, low-income exemptions and independent citizen and auditor oversight.

This tax amounts to about $186 per year for an average 1,500-square-foot house, according to the committee website, and is estimated to produce $9.5 million annually in revenue to go toward the stated goals.

Measure G: General obligation bond measure – Passed 

With Measure G passed with 78.58% of the vote, BUSD can now issue and sell bonds of up to $380 million to provide finances for remodeling and improving school facilities.

These include technology, laboratories, classrooms and theaters, among many more. Funds would also be used to make improvements to school safety and security, to best prepare campuses for possible natural disasters, as well as other possible threats.

This measure is a continuation of the district’s bond program that began in 1992 and was supported by voters again in 2000 and 2010.

In 2004, the district agreed to a maximum amount per $100,000 in assessed valuation, and that has never been exceeded. Homeowners and commercial property owners are charged differing amounts each year, but charges always stay beneath the maximum. The new total bond authorization raises this amount and promises independent citizen and auditor oversight.

Measure H: Berkeley Public Schools Facilities Safety and Maintenance Act of 2020 – Passed

Measure H, which passed with 81.83% of the vote as of press time, will allow the city of Berkeley to renew a school maintenance tax and continue BUSD’s existing work.

The tax first passed in 2000 and was renewed in 2010, and it is estimated to produce $7.3 million of applicable revenue annually. This measure is an unchanged renewal once again.

The measure will provide essential maintenance of buildings and electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, while addressing fire and safety hazards, which are “essential to the provision of a high-quality public education program and to the protection of students and staff,” according to the full text of the measure.

It also involves a 9.1 cent parcel tax per square foot of buildings, with cost-of-living adjustments, low-income exemptions and independent citizen and auditor oversight.

Because it is a measure including a tax, Measure H will require a two-thirds majority to pass.