First five years are identified as a critical period of child growth in scientific literature. In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 10 that appropriated a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to support early childhood development. As a result, Kern County Children and Families Commission administered over $10…

The Birmingham (Alabama) school district regressed from a model system in 1926 to a poorly equipped, underfunded one in 1975. In that year, however, in spite of recession and joblessness, the citizens voted a $3 million tax increase for schools. The success of the election may be traced to several factors. Citizens were concerned about the…

This paper investigates the relationship between the demand-response behavior of school boards and incumbent school board member defeat. Demand is defined as public demand as operationalized by social, economic, and political indicators (listed in Appendix A). Response is defined as school board response to public demand as operationalized by the…

Because Louisiana is facing financial difficulties, the impact of reductions in federal aid since 1980 has been severe. With a state economy dependent on gas, oil, and agriculture, Louisiana suffers when oil prices are low and farming costs are high. Reduced tax income for the state lowers state spending, forcing additional enterprises out of…

This study examines repercussions of the incentive nature of the Manitoba property tax credit plan in relation to local school systems' taxation practices during 1978 to 1981. Data from municipalities and province school systems were obtained from the Manitoba departments of education and municipal affairs. Investigation was carried out in five…

Is there a crisis in Oregon school finance? Before policymakers can formulate answers, assessment and definition of the problem are necessary. This paper examines the current state of Oregon school finance, including reform efforts over the last 20 years from policy and grass roots level perspectives. It then assesses the current school funding…

After years of struggling with increasing student enrollments, the Elk Grove Unified School District (Sacramento County, California) conducted two $70 million bond elections to supplement State funding for new schools, improve existing schools, and provide transportation and student support facilities. The 1986 election failed with 64.8 percent…

This study attempted to determine the knowledge of Tennessee public school finance on the part of teachers, businessmen, school administrators, elected officials, and industrial workers. Students in a class on public school finance administered the questionnaire to over 1,000 subjects. Results revealed that respondents feel that public education…

The British North America Act of 1867 mandates the education of Canadians as a provincial responsibility, although some funding comes from federal sources and municipalities share expenditures with provincial authorities. This paper summarizes a study that investigated effective methods of financing elementary and secondary education in Ontario.…

This research addressed the contemporary problem of declining support for school funding requests. The study examined current factors and factors over time (1969-77) that underlie school tax balloting. Data were collected from four previously studied districts and statistically analyzed. Voters' attitudes toward school community relations,…

The South Carolina Education Finance Act of 1977 aims toward equalization of public school finance in South Carolina. A major goal is the state provision of 70 percent of school funding. The bill contains three other major provisions: the Defined Minimum Program (DMP), the Index of Taxpaying Ability, and the Weighted Pupil/Base Pupil calculation.…

The education service districts (ESDs) in Oregon have been a strong force for staff development since 1849, a decade before statehood. This report outlines the organization of Oregon school systems over the past century, highlighting the creation of county superintendents, rural school districts, special education programs, and tax standards…

Implications of some specific educational trends and their possible impact on the institutional structure of public schools are discussed. These trends are grouped under the categories of public criticism, finance and governance, and labor management friction in the schools. Central in this discussion are the future ramifications of Proposition 13…

One way in which the analysis of educational finance reform might be broadened to include an analysis of the fiscal effects of such reform is to show fiscal competition between large cities and their suburbs. It is not possible to say that "most central cities" or "most suburban areas" deserve a greater share of State…

To improve the equity of Vermont's school finance system, the state legislature passed Act 60. This new funding mechanism is described, with a focus on the equity issues raised by the state supreme court. A court's decision struck down substantial dependence on local property taxes to provide revenue for local school districts. The report reviews…