Municipal overburden hypothesizes a causal relationship between high levels of nonschool municipal expenditure (due to high population density, aged housing stock, and other demographic factors) and low school spending levels. This article disproves the hypothesis by estimating demand for education expenditures using a median voter model. Includes…

The administration's proposal to end state and local tax deductions could cost public schools $24 billion in funding cuts and has far reaching ramifications for public education. Projections of state-by-state losses are presented as well as projections of tax liability increases to individuals and businesses. (MD)

An initiative petition passed in 1982 for a 1-cent sales tax accounted for between 13 and 15 percent of the total public school budget in Missouri as of the 1991-92 school year. Outlines the steps necessary to gather the necessary signatures from registered voters and to get the measure approved. (MLF)

The system that finances Michigan's schools from kindergarten through 12th grade is a perennial topic of conversation among policymakers, parents, taxpayers and voters. A constructive discussion of this issue, however, requires a sound knowledge of the financial workings of Michigan's elementary and secondary school system. This knowledge is…

This document examines various ways for school districts to inform taxpayers about positive educational programs in order to convince them that a particular public school system is worth the investment. A school district needs to create good public relations in order to "sell" taxpayers on an educational program. Thus educators must show that they…

Outlines the trends in educational funding patterns needed to enact educational reform. Local property taxes, state revenues, and federal aid continue to provide the bulk of financing. Includes two tables. (MD)

Argues that standards-based education reform has shifted the focus of school finance from equity to adequacy. Requires an explicit connection between the funding provided to schools and the results produced in terms of student learning. (Contains 19 references.) (MLF)

This report which describes state systems for financing special education programs for school-age children with disabilities, is based on a is based on a national survey of state directors of special education during the 1992-93 school year. Emphasis is on determining state funding formulas, recognizing that many states are currently in various…

School districts can improve their chances of avoiding financial difficulty by developing unreserved fund balance resources specifically for contingencies. Offers guidelines for establishing such a fund. (MLF)

Cases related to school finance, in which decisions were handed down in 1982, are reviewed in this chapter. It is observed that the constitutionality of existing state school finance programs was upheld in New York, Colorado, and Georgia, and that litigation was prevalent in the areas of taxation for schools and uses of school revenue. Issues…

Potential revenue prospects for the public schools in the Midwest basically depend on the future outlook for the midwestern economy as a whole. Accordingly, a comprehensive analysis is undertaken of the midwestern economy and tax base, and then of trends in educational spending. Topics include: (1) economic growth and taxation systems; (2)…

The Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 is intended to provide opportunities for states and local governments to have more control of their educational programs and to deregulate the administration of federal programs. Introduced at a time when state funding and revenue systems are in flux and severely depleted, it presents…

This comprehensive reference reviews court decisions affecting the operation, management, and governance of public schools. This edition analyzes all public school cases decided during the 1982 calendar years and reported in West's Regional, Federal, and Supreme Court Resports, through the December 1982 advance sheets. Included as well are 1981…