Bulging schools seek to slow growth.(B SECTION)

Byline: TIFFANY LANKES tiffany.lankes@heraldtribune.com

MANATEE COUNTY -- As parents prepare for yet another heated redistricting battle, school officials are growing weary from trying to meet the high demands of growth.

Parents not only want their children in the best schools, but demand they attend those closest to home. There's not enough money to build new classrooms, let alone repair aging schools. And a state-mandated law to lower class sizes is stretching the district's construction budget even thinner.

The problems have become so acute that schools Superintendent Roger Dearing says the district can no longer address them alone. He's calling on the county to lend a hand by slowing down the …