October 30, 2025—EdSource’s Education Beat podcast, hosted by Zaidee Stavely, featured Miliani Rodriguez, named plaintiff in Public Advocates’ landmark lawsuit Miliani R. v. State of California, alongside EdSource Editor-at-Large John Fensterwald. Rodriguez, a senior at Coachella Valley High School, shared her experience attending schools in Coachella Valley Unified School District since kindergarten—enduring air conditioning that breaks in 100-degree heat, leaking ceilings, and flooded classrooms. The podcast explores how the lawsuit challenges California’s school facility funding system, which sends more money to districts with greater property wealth while locking out poor districts from accessing funding.

Rodriguez described visiting her cousin’s high school just miles away and discovering modern buildings, spacious athletic fields, and working air conditioning—a stark contrast to her own school. “I thought these kinds of things were normal,” she said, until realizing the inequality built into the system.

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the discriminatory funding formula that perpetuates vast inequalities for students based on their zip code.

Listen to the podcast.