The purpose of this paper is to explore funding issues related to charter districts. It begins with definitions of charter school and charter district. It continues with a brief discussion of public-school finance and some of the policy issues associated with distributing state funds to school districts, allowing school districts to generate…

Proceedings of a conference on financing postsecondary education in the 1980s, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Higher Education of the University of Arizona in close collaboration with the Education Commission of the States and the National Association of College and University Business Officers, are presented. Contents are as follows:…

Argues that recent federal education legislation will not eliminate unequal funding, school performance inequities, and student achievement gaps that have persisted in the poorest school districts. Asserts that adequate, equitable, and targeted human and financial resources and standards are necessary, and that the slight increases in federal…

Trends during the 1980s are described including high infant mortality, no decline in low birthweight percentages, an increase in the black-white infant mortality gap, more high-risk pregnancies, and inadequate prenatal care. Inadequate progress in reducing infant mortality is attributed in part to the limited technological ability to save…

This study analyzes the effectiveness of a "guaranteed tax base" (GTB) as a reform measure designed to reduce the traditional heavy reliance of school financing on local property tax revenues and to help equalize per pupil expenditures across districts. Such measures call for matching locally raised tax dollars with state aid and…

Discusses controversial changes in educational policy resulting from the government's restraint program to control public sector spending and from the broader movement to reform public schooling. Outlines the causes of restraint and its immediate and long-term effects on public education. Emphasizes the shift to provincial control of decisions…

Fiscal support for higher education and policy concerns at the state level during difficult financial times are discussed, with specific reference to the western states. States vary widely in several ways: the strength of their economies, the actions of legislatures and voters to reduce the revenues or the expenditure base of state and local…

Limitations on governmental taxing and/or spending, exemplified by the "Proposition 13" initiative in California, have been instituted or proposed in a large number of states. As the movement spreads, state education agencies (SEAs) and, especially, chief state school officers have fundamental policy decisions to make. Areas where the…

Offers statistics showing community colleges to be one of the most cost-effective segments of higher education. Compares figures for public and private two- and four-year colleges with respect to tuition; federal, state, and local revenues; appropriations and grants; student financial aid; tax support; per capita government assistance; and…

Educational performance has become a crucial element in the United States' capacity to prosper in a new global economy of fierce competition. In addition to the traditional question of how the educational system contributes to students' intellectual growth, a new question is being asked: How does the educational system contribute to national…

Examines state revenue sources. Discusses the economic, demographic, and political factors affecting state spending over the past two decades. Predicts that the 1990s will be characterized by annual increases in educational spending that are far less than the expected rate of inflation. (FMW)

This brief paper suggests that state leaders create charter districts in which all or most schools are charter or contract schools. Such districts, according to the paper, would help policymakers create school systems that focus on student achievement and provide high-quality choices to students and parents. The paper examines why charter…

Major issues affecting higher education in Texas in the 1980s are identified in 20 working papers from outside consultants, the academic community, and Texas College and University System Coordinating Board staff. Topics and authors include: higher education in Texas in the 1980s (Christopher Dede); leadership in higher education (Joseph…