Diverse economic, social, and legal concerns have brought renewed attention to the problem of financing public schools. The primary economic concern is preparing students to compete successfully in the international marketplace. The change in demographics of the United States also is a major social concern for education. Legal concerns focus on…

This document describes the comprehensive analytical framework for school finance used by the Illinois State Board of Education to assist policymakers in their decisions about equitable distribution of state aid and appropriate levels of resources to meet the varying educational requirements of differing student populations. This framework, the…

If you have access to the Internet, you can obtain information through the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Gopher, a service provided under the auspices of the ED Institutional Communications Network (INet) project, as well as other government gopher servers. At these sites, information can be found on discretionary grants, grants distributed by…

This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education addresses the role of boards of related non-profit fund-raising foundations. The booklet begins with an explanation of four advantages of such foundations to host institutions, such as separating gift funds from public funds. Suggestions for making foundation boards more effective…

Despite the recent upheaval in public finance, the typical school district still approaches, organizes, and perceives a school finance referendum no differently than 40 years ago. Political strategy remains a rather shunned, undeveloped resource at a time when election success is most needed and when school administrators cannot take public…

The mission of the North Carolina Arts Council is to enrich cultural life and to nurture and support excellence in the arts. The professional staff provides services to artists, art organizations, and supporters of the arts. The council offers grant assistance for specific activities by funding programs designed to support particular groups of…

One alternative to the insurance crisis faced by school districts is self-insurance, either through pooling or capital market funding. After a brief discussion of the insurance issue, research and literature dealing specifically with self-insurance through pooling and capital market funding are described. Finally, an assesment is made of the…

This manual focuses on the promotion of good risk management practices. The first of four sections presents an overview of risk management in terms of risk management concepts and avoiding, transferring, controlling, and financing risk. Second, the manual present methods for identifying and assessing risk. The third section discusses different…

This book is intended as a practical guidebook for those involved in continuing education, in particular, and for the boards and staff of nonprofit organizations and community groups, in general. It is designed to show these individuals how to develop community resources when additional support is needed for community education. Specific…

This guide to zero base budgeting (ZBB) offers information intended to be useful to those implementing this system in schools. Beginning with an explanation of zero base budgeting, the paper then enumerates the advantages of such a system. Zero base budgeting design is then explained as well as the assumptions that underlie the system. Suggested…

This document describes the public relations strategies employed by the Lakewood (Ohio) City School district to obtain voter support for a school levy. Various aspects of this successful campaign are described, including the formation of administrative committees to oversee campaign activities, steering and citizens' committees, the use of…

As a result of funding cuts to education, some school districts have begun to provide funding for programs through the development of private foundations. Outlines considerations for the establishment of a foundation. (MD)

Presents factual data on research in school bus safety that shows that seat belts in school buses may actually be detrimental to students. Includes data from surveys and research tests and sources for additional information on seat belts in school buses. (MD)

Outlines the reasons for having superintendents function as negotiators with employee unions. Includes six recommendations: (1) understand the negotiating process; (2) build a negotiating team; (3) know the costs; (4) learn negotiation rules; (5) develop a strategy; and (6) review these tips. Includes a list of pitfalls. (MD)

Financial exigency can be avoided with understanding, courage and determination, and cooperation and planning on the part of administrators. Warning signs of impending danger and a checklist of 99 ways to avoid it are presented. (MLW)