A study that examined the relationship between Illinois schools' expenditure per pupil and students' state assessment exam scores is described in this paper. The Illinois reading and mathematics tests were administered to students in grades 3, 6, 8, and 11, and language arts exams were given to students in grades 3, 6, and 8. The number of…

Findings of a study on public school funding and accountability in Hawaii are presented in this report. Following a detailed executive summary, the introduction outlines the state legislative history that mandated the study and describes the study's design. Chapter 2 discusses the different methods used to analyze educational expenditures and…

This handbook on school finance is prepared to give the taxpayers of the state of Washington an overview of the financing and organization of the public schools, grades K-12. An attempt has been made to show in general terms where the revenues to support this segment of public education come from, how they are distributed to individual school…

Alaska's public schools cost $1.2 billion in the 1992-93 school year. That included both operating and capital spending and amounted to about $10,000 for each of the state's 119,000 elementary and secondary students. Roughly one-quarter of the state government's general fund budget went to the schools, covering 64 percent of costs. About 30…

School systems have been forced to postpone purchases of new equipment and to defer repair and renovation projects. At present, 39 states provide support for local school district capital expenditures through five primary mechnanisms: full state assumption, state/local sharing, state flat grant, state equalizing grant, and state loans. In response…

This document presents the first results of a series of studies on within-district spending patterns. It provides an overview of some early analysis of variations in spending among schools within three unnamed school districts. The study was conducted with the hope of motivating district leaders and school activists to investigate their own…

For Michigan, like many other states, providing noninstructional services strains public school district budgets. School districts provide more transportation, food, maintenance, and counseling services than ever before. In some cases, noninstructional expenses exceed classroom expenses. Seven states, including Michigan, employ more nonteachers…