Public schools in New Jersey are financed primarily by local property taxes. This system of finance is unconstitutional, according to the New Jersey Supreme Court, and therefore it must be revised. The proposals for revision range from very slight increases in state school aid to complete state financing of schools, but all of the proposals shift…

This analysis is the first in a series of seven reports on the ways that the urban fiscal crisis has affected children. It discusses the issue in general, and provides an overview of the other reports. Over the past 100 years, all levels of government have developed public services responsible for the health, education, protection and physical and…