Examples are given of how United States universities are being affected by and coping with the declining revenues accompanying the current recession. The role of business officers in providing the facts, information, and guidance needed by an administration making retrenchment decisions is discussed. (DB)

A Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (CMO) is a specially designed multiclass, pay-through bond. Explains CMOs and how their purchase can enhance a district's portfolio. (MLF)

In May 1997, the Federal Communications Commission provided funding and policies for implementing the Snow-Rockefeller-Exon-Kerrey Amendment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The amendment states that schools and libraries should have access to telecommunication services for educational purposes at discounted rates. This article explains the…

Describes how Colorado's Pueblo School District #70 dealt with impending funding cuts. The district developed a Budget Reduction Model to educate the public about the impact of loss of funding on various school-district goods and services. Presents the timeline and tools used to examine areas for potential cuts and to arrive at a consensus about…

Discussion of asset allocation for college/university endowment funds focuses on three levels of risk: (1) the absolute risk of the portfolio (usually leading to asset diversification); (2) the benchmark risk (usually comparison with peer institutions; and (3) personal career risk (which may incline managers toward maximizing short-term returns,…

The question of legal responsibility for state participation in school building costs has never been completely answered. Reviews court decisions and offers recommendations to those involved in educational facilities. (MLF)

Student achievement needs to rise much faster than resources to attain high levels of cognitive achievement for all. The article discusses the nature of funding changes, changes in achievement, productivity problems, central notions of systemic reform (decentralized management), and the new type of school finance policy structure. (SM)

New Jersey's school funding reform initiative, the Quality Education Act of 1990 and its 1991 amendments, are described in this booklet. The amendments attempt to equalize the tax burden of all districts, provide property relief, and impose stricter spending limitations. In the new foundation funding system, the state provides aid based on a…

This publication outlines some of the techniques school districts are using to survive in an era of fiscal restraint. Information in this resource directory is based on a national survey of 108 school districts affiliated with the National School Board Association. Section 1 summarizes the survey findings, which indicate that school districts have…

This booklet presents steps Arizona has taken to reform education in order to improve student achievement. This guide is divided into four parts: (1) overview; (2) moving toward a student-centered system; (3) student achievement; and (4) school finance. The importance of having a well-educated work force is emphasized, as is the importance of…

This report provides baseline information on the early implementation of Goals 2000 and programs reauthorized under Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), analyzing the ways in which state officials who administer finances have responded to the new legislative mandates. The study intended not only to gather information more efficiently through…

This handbook is designed to share successful, creative ideas and proven methods for fund raising at the elementary school level. Suggestions are based on the author's personal experience as a PTA fund raiser and on interviews conducted nationwide with people involved in fund raising. Following the acknowledgements and preface, the introduction…

The purpose of this study was to explore alternative methods for saving public funds in the purchasing of school bus bodies in the state of Georgia. Officials from each of the 50 states responded to a questionnaire that solicited descriptions of the methods used by state officials in purchasing school bus bodies. The discussion focuses on (1) the…

This handbook is the basic accounting document for Wisconsin's public school systems; it presents the means to achieve uniformity in reporting on the efficacy of the Wisconsin Elementary and Secondary School Accounting System (WESSAS). Its purpose is to provide financial information that will promote reporting, auditing, interdistrict comparison,…

The purpose of this manual is to improve and clarify the system of student accounting used in Oregon public schools. Student accounting in Oregon should yield accurate demographic assessments of students at the local school and program level that will in turn provide cumulative data at the district, state, and federal levels. The manual reviews…