Doling Out Facilities Aid Proves Tricky

By Jessica L. Sandham

In the three years since California voters authorized a bond issue providing $6.7 billion to help ease school crowding, state policymakers have been saddled with a classic imbalance of supply and demand. It's as if they're trying to feed dozens of people with a single loaf of bread: No matter how they slice it, people still end up hungry.

A coalition of Los Angeles students and community groups filed suit in March of last year, charging that the state's original method of giving out school construction money was rigged against city districts. The suit contended that because urban districts like Los Angeles need more time to secure school sites, distributing money on a first-come, first-served basis cheated them of their fair share.

A state trial court judge agreed, and last fall, the state agency responsible for overseeing the school construction program changed the system to favor districts with the greatest facilities needs. Now, many of the growing suburban districts bumped to the back of the line because of the state's midcourse shift are fighting back: In November, a coalition of such districts filed their own suit...