This paper is an indepth survey of American educational finance from its origins to the present and with projections for the future. It discusses the influence of and impact on school finance of some of the following: demographic patterns, changes in the American economy, Sputnik and civil rights events, federal intervention, the courts, local…

This paper examines the fiscal implications of legislative proposals stemming from the 1985 repeal of the constitutional tax limit for the Small City School Districts (SCSDs) in New York. The proposals would allow SCSD residents to vote directly on the adoption of their school budget. This paper compares the annual percentage increase of school…

This paper traces the historical development of New York State Small City School District (SCSD) school budget voting policy. State policymakers are currently debating whether to change from representative to referendum school budget voting in SCSDs. Following a historical analysis of the current debate, the argument is made that there no longer…