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Palm Springs Desert Sun:  Why CVUSD student wants to freeze billions in California school funds

March 11, 2026 — The Palm Springs Desert Sun covered our motion for a preliminary injunction in Miliani Rodriguez v. California, spotlighting lead plaintiff Miliani Rodriguez, a senior at Coachella Valley High School who has helped drive the lawsuit since its launch last fall. The piece details why Public Advocates and co-counsel Morrison Foerster are asking an Alameda County judge to freeze more than $3 billion in Proposition 2 school modernization funds — and explains how California’s School Facility Program has funneled nearly 60% less per-student funding to low-wealth districts like CVUSD since 1998. The article features quotes from Managing Attorney John Affeldt and Senior Staff Attorney Alicia Virani, and vividly describes the conditions students face: classrooms hitting 85+ degrees when AC fails, leaking roofs, and aging portables with mold and rodent issues. A hearing is expected in the coming weeks.

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