The funding mechanism for the public schools in the state of Mississippi had been surprisingly stable for a number of years. The funding formula existed in its same form for over a half century before it was substantially changed in 1994 when the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) legislation was passed. This is the first external…

This study examines the relationship between educational effectiveness, as measured by the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), and funding of school districts based on socioeconomic classification. Results indicate there is a strong relationship between performance in HSPA, socioeconomic classification, and the different sources…

The Serrano decision has caused policy makers in California to search for departures from the current system of public school finance. Citizen and legislative evaluation of alternative finance systems is being confused by the employment of diverse interpretations of Serrano. Although the Court's decision may appear to indicate clear-cut methods of…

A survey of state financial controls over community, junior, and technical colleges was undertaken utilizing, as the base, Frederick Volkwein's scale of flexibility and control. A mailed survey (about 29 measures of state regulation) with followup telephone interviews was presented to all community college state agency directors (N=62).…

Sponsored by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), a statewide coordinating agency for higher education, the Performance Funding Project is a developmental effort now in its fourth year. The purpose of the project is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds to public colleges and universities on a…

On October 2, 1989, the Texas Supreme Court, in the "Edgewood v. Kirby" decision, found the current school-finance system unconstitutional. The evolution of this decision, through its early origins, the establishment of the current structure (1949-81), House Bill 72 (1984), and Senate Bill 1019 (1989), is described. Also described are…

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) subsidizes child care for about 30,000 children each month. In 1992, telephone interviews were conducted with 1,179 child care centers and 1,277 licensed family child care homes throughout the state. An estimated 140,000 children were in licensed care at that time. Three major…

The appropriation, payments, and amounts lapsed during fiscal year (FY) 1978 of state aid payments for the public community colleges in Illinois are outlined in tabular form. A total of $111,771,600 was appropriated from the State General Revenue Funds for the colleges in FY 1978. Of that amount, only $108,749,229.98 actually was paid out. The…

This paper discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of three alternative philosophical and practical approaches for the equitable distribution of state aid to local school districts. These three approaches include the "equity through uniformity" approach, implemented through a Full State Assumption school finance model; the…

This paper is a discussion of alternative state approaches to aiding and costing capital outlay programs, particularly equipment purchases for vocational programs. Equipment costs for vocational programs tend to be a larger proportion of the total costs than in other programs. The paper includes a discussion of such topics as the magnitude of…

The findings of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) study of state funding levels and funding methods, covering the period of 1980 to 1987, are summarized. The study reveals that the rate of increased financial support for public colleges and universities from state and local governments in most SREB states has been below the rate of…

In response to a legislative inquiry, a study was conducted by the Washington State Board for Community College Education (SBCCE) to determine the adequacy of policies and laws governing the state funding classification of community college courses. During the study, the SBCCE examined the extent to which the colleges were financing courses with a…

Public schools in New Jersey are financed primarily by local property taxes. This system of finance is unconstitutional, according to the New Jersey Supreme Court, and therefore it must be revised. The proposals for revision range from very slight increases in state school aid to complete state financing of schools, but all of the proposals shift…

The question of whether the quality improvement rhetoric has led to changes in state funding levels and funding strategies in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states is considered. The information reported here is based on an extensive review of education finance officers, and on-site visits to about half of education finance officers,…

Based on data provided by state directors of community/junior college education, this report reviews state approaches to community college financing. The report includes information from 41 states, representing 96.5% of the total community college enrollments in the country. Section I addresses state-level concerns in community college finance,…