Draws attention to a few of the far-reaching implications contained in the 106-page opinion of Judge Bernard S. Jefferson regarding the Serrano case and the unconstitutionality of the California public school financing system. (Author/DN)

It is asserted that conventional school finance analysis must address itself to the social realities of politics and dealing with state legislatures, thus disputing some of the theses offered by Daniel C. Morgan in a previous article. (EH)

Fiscal data were analyzed for a nine-year period (1963-1971) for all school districts in Illinois. Two hypotheses were tested relative to two different definitions of equalization -- "permissible variance" and "fiscal neutrality." Support was given to the notion of increasing interdistrict equality relative to expenditures and tax effort. Support…

This study of five metropolitan areas indicates increasing social and economic inequalities among suburban schools. In addition, the metropolitan areas seemed to be developing contiguous sectors of "advantaged" school districts and "disadvantaged" school districts. Financial differences are at the base of the inequalities, with high income/low tax…

This paper (1) provides background on types of State aid to education and describes how they work, (2) discusses the existing expenditure structure in Illinois, (3) describes and analyzes the fixed foundation (Strayer-Haig), variable foundation, percentage equalization, and resource equalizer formulae used for equalization aid in the United…

A 1973 Illinois school finance reform program initiated a guaranteed tax yield system that can also be considered a district power equalization system. This paper evaluates this reform according to four criteria: permissable variance, fiscal neutrality, reward for effort, and aid to urban areas. Emphasis is given to a discussion of legal and…

This paper explores definitional problems of the equalization concept in school finance, highlights some problems in the measurement of this concept, and discusses its application to current State educational fiscal policy matters. To define equalization, the report poses basic questions covering the concept, surveys school finance literature for…

A reform in the grant-in-aid system passed in Illinois in the summer of 1973 was evaluated. The State Changed on that date from a foundation system to a district power equalization system. Operational definitions of fiscal policy goals, such as fiscal neutrality and permissible variance of expenditures, were established and measurements taken…