A public interest law firm filed a lawsuit Thursday against the state of California, charging that its program to subsidize school construction perpetuates vast inequalities for students in low-wealth communities.

John Fensterwald

EdSource

Public school students on some districts’ splendid campuses enjoy modern science labs, shaded outdoor spaces, and spacious auditoriums, while their peers in other districts attend rundown schools in deplorable conditions. At the heart of this issue is the state’s reliance on local property taxes in districts with vastly different abilities to finance school facility renovations, the lawsuit said.

The losers — property-poor districts — disproportionately enroll low-income students, English learners, and Black, Hispanic and Native American students, th

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