Describes how school districts may significantly reduce the interest paid on school building bonds in states where the law permits advance refunding of school bond issues in response to declining interest rates. Presents two examples of how Indiana school districts used advance refunding to reduce the cost of debt service. (JG)

In 1995, the Missouri Legislature adopted Senate Bill 301, which directs the Health and Educational Facilities Authority of the State of Missouri to assist school districts in the issuance of general obligation bonds. The law charges the Authority with developing guidelines for and administering two voluntary methods relating to the issuance of…

Offers guidelines to aid school districts in planning a sale of school construction bonds so as to minimize interest costs. (JG)

State credit-enhancement programs for school districts lower interest costs and increase market acceptance for the bond issues. School districts receive higher bond ratings than they would have based on their own credit standings. Describes programs in 14 states that are recognized and rated by at least 1 major bond rating agency. (MLF)

Asserting that school district officials facing the need of extensive capital expenditures must analyze all sources of funding, this paper focuses on the predominant local funding mechanism of the school district bond issue. It presents a bond rating model with three separate stages that relate to the different choices facing a school district…

The differential interest costs to rural governments associated with borrowing in the tax-exempt bond market is a function of the advantageous position of several large partially rural counties and the dominance of school district borrowing in rural communities, rather than a disadvantage of predominantly rural governments. This conclusion is the…