Construction bonding authority--a technical, and often obscure, source of capital funding for school districts--has emerged as a hot ticket for those looking to finance school facilities work under the federal government's economic-stimulus program. School districts left out of the loop for direct funding are lining up for some of at least $24 billion in construction bonds under the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There is stiff competition in some places for a new program created under the stimulus law--Qualified School Construction Bonds--that can be used to build, upgrade, or repair school facilities. Funding for school facilities was a major flash point in congressional negotiations last winter over the stimulus law, which includes about $100 billion in aid for education. Opponents feared that the inclusion of money for construction would set a precedent for federal spending in an area typically left to states and districts. In the end, a compromise allowed states and districts to use any money left over from the $39.5 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to finance school modernization and repair.