The study reported in this document found no evidence for the minicipal overburden (m/o) hypothesis of urban school finance. The theory asserts that there is a causal relationship between high levels of non-school municipal expenditure or tax rates and low levels of school spending. Demand for expenditure on education in a sample of school…

A study analyzed the revenues of the Chicago Public Schools since 1970; all the relevant data on these revenues are compiled in this document, which presents a comprehensive picture of the finances of the Chicago Public Schools. In response to a fiscal crisis that has continued since 1979-80, the Chicago Board of Education has cut its staff by…

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…

This study assesses the economic impact of the Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC) on the four-county region of metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri. The total economic impact is composed of a network of interactive cash flows between the colleges, business, government, and individuals, and may be derived by adding three distinct components:…

Besides their primary mission of providing education to the students of North Dakota, the 11 colleges and universities in the state represent an important "industry" which generates substantial income to the businesses and people of the state. Total college-related spending in North Dakota was $76 million during the 1973-1974 school…

Like all capitalist nations which have gone through a development process, the United States has relied partly on the rural-to-urban transfer of resources for the growth of an industrialized urban complex. The existence of a market-dominated rural sector and a noncompetitive (administered-price) urban sector has resulted in a major transfer of…

This report is designed to familiarize the reader with current changes in State systems of public school finance. It describes in summary form the major school finance changes made in 1973 by Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin. State legislative sessions in these States produced…

Data concerning state-local systems of financing public education in Illinois reveal inequities across districts of different types as well as between districts of the same type. The procedure should be of value in appraising school finance inequities in states with diverse patterns of school district organization. (MLF)

An analysis of the relationship between district wealth and tax effort concludes that, while state aid is generally equalizing, the school funding structure is a dual system in which state aid is almost randomly spent in outlier districts. It is inferred that outliers translate guaranteed state aid into lower local taxes. (MJL)

Examines local politics, economics, and other factors contributing to the results of the 1987 and 1992 tax elections in a Louisiana city-parish. Results suggest that proponents of educational agendas should couch propositions in terms of developmental policies, because all socioeconomic segments tend to support development. (SLD)

A study was conducted by the Grants Campus of New Mexico State University to determine the campus' economic impact on its service area. Data from the 1993-94 academic year were gathered from state, county, and institutional reports, and surveys conducted of students and college employees. Economic data were analyzed on three levels: level I funds,…

The 13 Chapters in this book address the important issue of how schools and school districts allocate their resources. The book summarizes the emerging research in educational resource allocations (tax dollars) at the district, school, and classroom levels. Following the preface by Lawrence O. Picus, the chapters include: (1) "Why Do We Need to…

A study was done of State University of New York (SUNY) revenue sources and operating costs for fiscal year 1988-89 in comparison to "peer" public university systems in 17 other states. In particular the study focused on SUNY cost effectiveness, tuition and fee schedules, the proportion of costs offset by tuition and fees and the…

The last 2 years have been a period of dramatic fiscal change in the states. The states' fiscal condition continued to weaken along with the economy toward the end of the 1980s. This caused 26 states to raise more than $10 billion in new revenues in fiscal 1991 in an effort to maintain current programs. The failure of the economy to recover forced…

This paper uses data from a large statewide survey of Massachusetts residents to measure support for Proposition 2 1/2. Proposition 2 1/2 required high tax rate communities to reduce property tax levies 15 percent per year until the tax rate is reduced to the maximum allowable rate of 2 1/2 percent of full and fair market value. Specifically, this…