ESCONDIDO -- In a renewed attempt to secure state construction money for a major library expansion, the Escondido Public Library is launching a new research and tutoring program with help from the local elementary school district.

Starting this month, the library will offer programs to help fourth- and fifth-graders learn how to locate and evaluate information for research and homework assignments, officials said Monday. The State Office of Library Construction, which doles out the state bond funds, gives priority to projects that have cooperative agreements with local school districts.

"We will design a very specific kind of scavenger hunt around the library to have students locate and use different reference materials," said Jennifer Walters, the Escondido Union School District's deputy superintendent of educational services. "Then, the students would actually produce productions about information they had gathered. We are excited about that."

The joint city-school program will begin with students from Central Elementary School and expand to Pioneer and Lincoln Elementary schools by 2005.

The programs can reach every elementary and middle school in the district if the city of Escondido receives $20 million from the $350 million Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2000, according to a staff report dated Jan. 7.

The City Council is expected to approve a request to apply for the third and final round of state funding needed to double the size of Escondido's main library at 239 S. Kalmia St. The meeting is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chambers at City Hall, 201 N. Broadway.

If the city does send an application to the state, it is not guaranteed the money. Just 18 of 61 applicants received funding in the first cycle in 2002 and only 16 out of 66 in the second cycle last year.

The city was denied funding in 2003, and in a subsequent phone call state officials told Escondido librarians that the city handled too much of the student programs and that the school district wasn't doing its fair share.

"The state raters were not pleased with the lack of balance," said Loretta McKinney, deputy city librarian. "The library had a lot of responsibility in the agreement. But it gave us such a wonderful new project, we decided to initiate some of those changes now."

McKinney said the school district and the city fixed the problem by having the school provide classroom space for new library programs and recruit professionals to help with the library's homework program.

Walters added that school district officials are happy with the new agreement, but the school board won't make a final decision until Jan. 14.

Library officials said they think the added programs, the biggest among small changes made to the city's five-volume state bond application, will put them on the path to a new library by 2007.

"We feel very strongly that we will receive an outstanding rating in this section for sure now," McKinney added.

The city has been trying since February 2001 to secure the state bond money. During the first funding cycle, the city could not buy up all of the property in time and missed the deadline.

In 2003, the city applied for the second round of funding, but was denied in October. Escondido officials learned that they, along with Fallbrook and Encinitas, were turned down because they did not receive a high enough rating. The three cities received a "very good" rating while the winners -- including the city of San Diego Main Library, which received $20 million -- were given an "outstanding" rating.

With input from the state, city officials are optimistic that the third time is the charm. But the 10-month delay is not without its cost. The project has grown from $24.2 million in 2002 to $30.8 million in 2003 to $32.1 million now because of design changes and higher construction costs.

If the new library is built, the city, which has spent $1.6 million so far and has another $12.1 million saved up, would have to dip into its general fund reserves for $441,000.

Spending city savings during the state's budget crisis doesn't sit well with everybody.

"We can't take money out of our city reserve at this time because we don't know our standing in the state," said Councilman Tom D'Agosta. "We put aside enough money for the library and now is not the time to be taking money out of our reserves."

City officials point out that the land the city secured for the site has increased in value from $1.19 to $1.33 million, and that might be able to go toward the city's monetary obligation. But the project would still be $441,000 over budget even with the increased land value. If the state chooses not to count that, the bigger library could cost the city $710,000 more, according to the council staff report.

Contact staff writer Erin Massey at (760) 740-5416 or emassey@nctimes.com.