Confronted by last fall's budget crunch, President Bush and the Congress agreed to ignore the deficit, revise the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings budget reduction process, and focus attention on capping total spending. Domestic programs will be allowed a $12 billion increase. Education's position is unclear, because it must compete with farms, bridges, and…

Continued economic recession, a growing national debt, and consumer overconsumption mean that a federal tax similar to a sales tax may be passed. Because the "value-added tax" will significantly affect school budgets, according to economist Anthony Carnevale, educators should demand a portion of the tax for education revenue sharing. (CJH)

Realizing how difficult it is to pass tax issues today, many school boards with all good intentions place them on the ballot before the money is really needed. They do this so if the tax issues are not approved, they have another chance to get them passed before serious educational cuts have to be made. In states where school districts must rely…

Schools have been criticized perennially for their profligate waste of taxpayer money. Currently, there are two separate myths about schools and money: the United States spends more than any other country; and money doesn't matter. U.S. schools have many nonteaching school employees because they provide services that other nations do not. (MLH)

Given the need for school administrators to exercise fiscal restraint and pare down expenses before recommending tax increases, this article provides information concerning trends in class size, school building renovation, energy economies, teacher and administrator layoffs, and state budgets. (MLH)