The board by the adoption of rules shall give priority in allocating funds to districts to those districts where the children will benefit most from additional schoolhouse facilities. This priority shall be based on acuteness of overcrowding, on sudden growth in attendance, on amount of local tax funds expended for housing of a character within the purposes of this chapter, and on the time the district’s application has been ready for allotment. The board may make exceptions when it determines that it will be for the benefit of the children affected.

In adopting rules the board may provide for the granting of priority points to govern the allocation according to the following schedule:

(a) Two priority points may be granted for each percent of the latest computed average daily attendance of the district that is inadequately housed. The number of inadequately housed pupils is the latest computed average daily attendance of the district less the sum of both of the following:

(1) Any classrooms up to a total of two, multiplied by 25.

(2) Any classrooms in excess of two, multiplied by 33.

The term “classrooms” for the purposes of this computation shall mean any school classrooms, temporary and permanent, determined by the State Department of Education to be safely usable.

(b) One priority point may be granted for each 5 percent of the latest computed average daily attendance of the district that represents an increase over the average daily attendance for the fifth preceding school year.

(c) One point of priority may be granted for each one-twentieth of 1 percent of the assessed valuation of the district, collected in taxes and expended for school housing within the scope of this chapter since July 1, 1944. Expenditure of the proceeds of the sale of bonds shall not be counted but expenditure for interest and retirement of bonds shall be counted.

(d) Not more than one point of priority shall be allowed for each calendar month that the completed application of the district has awaited funds.

If any computation of priority points made under this section results in a fraction of a point, that fraction shall be disregarded and the number of priority points shall be taken as the next lowest whole number.

These priorities shall be recomputed at least semiannually when funds are available for allocation, on the respective periods of time next preceding the date of computation. The State Department of Education shall assist and cooperate with the board in determining priority ratings.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)