It was only a matter of time before the complaints began making their way into news stories. The strong signals that have been coming from Albany that there could be a settlement in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit this year are increasingly pointing to a possible one-time infusion of several billion dollars for construction of new schools/renovations in New York City.

If you recall, Justice Leland DeGrasse's order in the case called for the city schools to spend $5.6 billion more per year on operating expenses and a one-time shot of $9.2 billion for facilities. Because the facilities money was already budgeted in the city's 5-year capital plan, and the dealmaking doesn't appear to involve operating cash, it will essentially mean that the big windfall everyone has been awaiting for more than a decade is basically already spent.

Look for a huge outcry from all those who were lining up to stick their hands into the $5.6 billion per year cookie jar...

From this morning's New York Times:

"Adequate facilities alone do not make an education," said Geri D. Palast, the
executive director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, a coalition of school and
community groups that filed the lawsuit challenging the state's education
financing system more than a decade ago.

"The problem here is twofold, and buildings are just part of that," she said. "You also need money to get high-quality teachers, to get universal prekindergarten. We would want the mayor to ask for both."

NY Times version of this episode here.

Meanwhile, public charter schools have their own issues with school facilities and are looking for a little relief themselves. Jay Gallagher looks at the issue and provides some updates on the efforts to lift the cap on new charter schools here.