206 L.A. Schools to Share $104.5 Million for High-Tech Cable

The Federal Communications Commission on Monday awarded $104.5 million to help the Los Angeles Unified School District wire 206 schools with telephone cable for high-speed Internet access and video conferencing.

District officials said they expect to more than double the number of schools qualifying for the high capacity wiring over the next few weeks as the FCC’s Schools and Libraries Division continues reviewing this year’s applications.

The money will help complete projects that were in danger of elimination from the $2.4-billion Proposition BB bond program because of higher than expected costs. It also will upgrade the technology to high bandwidth wiring that can transmit huge amounts of data.

Reaching every classroom in the selected schools, the technology will allow them to download large educational packages, such as videos from the Smithsonian, and to exchange materials among schools over a local area network, said Jim Konantz, director of instructional technology.

Among the possibilities are video classrooms in which university professors would provide Advanced Placement instruction to schools that have too few students to field a complete class in some subjects.

Konantz said the district also is using other funds to increase the ratio of computers to one for every six students.

In a massive application prepared for the district by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, L.A. Unified officials requested the federal telecommunications funds for all 660 schools. The selections are based on the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches.

Konantz said that will mainly leave schools in the West San Fernando Valley and Westside without grant money. However, they may be only a year behind those accepted this year.

“We’re going to reapply and pick up any schools that weren’t funded this round,” Konantz said.

The overall application would have netted $344 million, with the district adding $87 million.

In past years the district has submitted much smaller applications and received only a small percentage of the requested funds.

During a time of turmoil when former Supt. Ruben Zacarias was being removed, the district fell behind in its planning for this year’s grants and was in danger of having no application. Former Chief Operating Officer Howard Miller, who resigned June 30, called in the Army Corps to do a comprehensive application.