Tale of two districts: Escambia officials chafe at a state allocation for failing students that...

The two westernmost counties in Florida, Escambia and Santa Rosa, are next-door neighbors, sharing borders with Alabama to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. But their school districts are worlds apart.

When Florida implemented its school-grading system in 1999, Escambia became the state's first district with F schools. Students became eligible for vouchers to attend private schools, and the national and international news media trudged through Escambia's playgrounds to cover the story. Politicians held press conferences in Pensacola pledging more money and