NORTH COUNTY -- With only the governor's signature missing from California's new $105.3 billion budget, North County school districts can soon expect a little extra money in their coffers this school year.

Included in the $42 billion slated for education is $110 million to help equalize funding for public schools, which can vary greatly between districts, based on local and county tax revenue.

Equalization is money the state doles out to decrease discrepancies in how much each district receives per child.

The effort by California legislators means about $11 million in equalization money will head to San Diego County school districts that receive less money per student than others in the state.

Assemblyman Mark Wyland, R-Escondido, who has pushed for narrowing the gap in school funding, called the budget measure a victory for North County and other suburban students.

"Given the (state's) fiscal constraints, this is wonderful," Wyland said.

Most of North County's 20 school districts will receive some increase in per-student funding. Valley Center-Pauma Unified, Solana Beach, Del Mar Union, Cardiff and Rancho Santa Fe elementary districts won't see any extra aid.

Dollar amounts for each district will vary greatly, from Bonsall Union Elementary, which is slated to receive an increase of a little over $12 for each student, to San Dieguito Union High, which will get an additional $43 per pupil.

Whether the influx of new greenbacks will translate into new or expanded academic programs remains to be seen.

"Unrestricted dollars are really spent at the priority of the individual school boards," said Lora Duzyk, executive director of district financial services for the San Diego County Office of Education. "So, they could choose to put it pretty much anywhere."

That means districts could use the increased revenue for anything from classroom materials to teachers' salaries to facilities improvements. In North County, however, several school districts said they will probably end up using the money simply to try to keep their heads above water.

Over the last several years, districts from Oceanside to Poway have dipped into reserves to cover operating costs. That has left many struggling to maintain the 3 percent minimum in emergency reserves the state mandates.

The effects of those financial difficulties could offset any apparent gain from the budget's equalization funding.

The Encinitas Union School District, where the administration has long argued the need to equalize school funding, will receive approximately $197,000 from the new allotment. That money, however, will immediately go to help plug the $1.1 million hole in the district's 2004-05 budget, according to Abdollah Saadat, assistant superintendent of business services.

"We could have cut and had a balanced budget," Saadat said of the district's $27.8 million spending plan. "But we maintained the same staffing and programs … without any cuts."

Pam Hayden, chief financial officer for the Vista Unified School District that expects to get about $500,000 in equalization money, said the district had no immediate plans for the money.

Vista Unified is in the midst of a protracted contract dispute with its teachers and has lost millions of dollars in revenue from a slight but steady decline in enrollment in the last several years.

"We're just going to have to look at the budget as a district and make a decision," said Hayden of how the money might be used.

Ultimately, the extra funding will affect districts differently, said school budget consultant Bob Blattner.

"Obviously, it depends on the situation a school district is in," said Blattner, who works for School Services of California, a Sacramento consulting firm. "If you've got a district that's a little wobbly on its knees, this will help stabilize them."

Blattner said the $110 million is a step in the right direction and brings the Legislature about one-quarter of the way toward funding all school districts equally.

"It's significant," said Blattner. "It's more than has ever happened before."

The legislature has agreed to revisit the equalization issue at the end of the 2005-06 fiscal year.

Contact staff writer David Fried at (760) 631-6621 or dfried@nctimes.com.