State policies greatly affect the decisions rural districts make about building or renovating school facilities. State, federal, and local mechanisms for funding school facilities are briefly described. Some states require a specific percentage of growth or decline in student population or a minimum number of students as a prerequisite for…

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. This ERIC Digest discusses how risk management, a concept long used by corporate decision makers, can help school boards and administrators conserve their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an…

Over the last 20 years, K-12 schools have spent millions of dollars equipping their schools with the latest technologies, but often without a thoughtful plan of how their use would impact learning and teaching. What is important is how the technology is integrated with the instructional program. To ensure that technology dollars have an impact on…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. This ERIC Digest in Spanish discusses how risk management, a concept long used by corporate decision makers, can help school boards and administrators conserve their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to…

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest in Spanish offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…

Now that the growth period for community colleges is over, and public funding has stabilized or decreased, many colleges are turning to alternative funding sources as a means of financing new projects and maintaining services. Among the funding approaches are the following: (1) grants development, which requires a library of material on funding…

This digest presents a summary of historical and contemporary community college funding sources and challenges. It identifies four main categories of funding: (1) state and local appropriations; (2) tuition; (3) federal funds, grants, and contracts; and (4) endowments. The discussion of state funding covers lump sum appropriations, funding…

The cost of providing an educational program is higher for rural, small schools and districts than for others. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that small schools and districts may be a more efficient investment than large schools because the "learning value per unit of expenditure" seems to be greater there. This new idea expands…

Educators are under increasing pressure from policymakers and the public to demonstrate that educational resources are used in appropriate ways. This demand, coupled with an environment of increased standards and shrinking budgets, is a major challenge to rural, small, and low-income schools. This digest reviews contemporary research on resource…

In response to declining local and state appropriations for public education, community colleges have taken steps to formalize fundraising efforts by creating institutional foundations as recipients of tax-deductible contributions. Large-scale external fundraising at community colleges began as a result of the 1965 Higher Education Act and the…

Faced with reduced public funding, many two-year colleges are seeking money from government agencies and private foundations to change procedures or develop materials in areas that would otherwise be neglected. Simultaneously, several of the most well-known public and private funding sources are becoming increasingly receptive to proposals…

Funds are not always available to finance environmental education efforts in communities and schools. This digest highlights steps for identifying potential sources for funding and how to apply for those funds. Two sources of monetary awards to groups and individuals are grants and gifts. Four steps to identify potential donors and apply for…

Not for profit community college foundations play a major role in overall resource development. Because foundations are legally and organizationally independent of the college, they are able to promote the well-being of the college without the statutory limits imposed by the governing board and staff. Foundation money is not restricted to basic…

This digest examines the various financial sources minority students use to meet the costs of higher education, some of which were created with the specific goal of promoting their college attendance. Sources include federal student loans, pre-college programs and grants, college prepaid plans, and student credit cards. Policy recommendations to…