Calif. Districts Get 3 Options To Spend $279 Million Grant

By Peter West

California school districts are about to share a $279 million windfall from state lawmakers, but the new-found bounty is likely to put many districts in the difficult position of choosing where to spend the money.

The block grant will give each district $52 per student to be spent on one of three categories: teaching aids, building maintenance, or technology.

As school officials ponder their choices, a Washington-based trade association representing the computer-software industry has mounted a campaign to persuade school boards and administrators to use the money to buy their way...