Across all 50 states, there are different ways in which states allocate K-12 and special education funding to districts. Education Commission of the States has collected information on states' primary funding models, base per-student funding amounts, student attendance count methods, and funding for special education, English language learners,…

This project attempted to answer the following question: what are the impacts of school spending on student outcomes? The Texas education system provides a unique opportunity to examine this question and make a large and significant contribution to the school finance literature. Over the last two decades, Texas made two large changes to school…

In a series of new questions in this year's poll, conducted November 26 to November 30, 2018, Jacksonville community members shared their views on what makes a high quality school. Participants said teachers and parents have a greater impact on school quality than system leaders or community groups; in essence, the closer you are to the student,…

A major feature of the school finance landscape over the last two decades has been the reform of state school finance systems. Using the case of Maryland's Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act, this paper extends the current literature by developing a conceptual framework for residential bidding and sorting and using it to estimate housing…

The need for proper communication strategies during a bond or levy campaign has been a critical part of the tax referendum process. The intent of this study was to identify the best communication strategies used by superintendents during the three stages of a tax referendum. Planning a tax referendum, campaigning for a tax referendum, and then…

In Pennsylvania as in many other states, employee pension costs are a significant source of financial pressure for school districts (Zeehandelaar and Northern 2013, Pennsylvania Public Employees' Retirement Commission 2013). In order to gain greater insight into the nature of Pennsylvania school districts' financial burden related to pension…

In 2008, the Indiana legislature passed and the governor signed into law House Enrolled Act No. 1001, now referred to as Public Law 146-2008, which capped Indiana school districts' ability to raise revenues from the local property tax without local voter approval. To phase in the impact of the law, the state provided school districts with levy…

The "Tennessee K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Inc. (BRI), measures Tennessee registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

The purpose of this article was to present the results of a study that analyzed Pennsylvania local school boards' taxing authority, pre- and post-enactment of Special Session Act 1, "The Taxpayer Relief Act," in 2006, in terms of its percent share of school districts' total budget in order to better understand the impact of the new…

This article examines the first regional governance reform in public education, created in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area in 2007. The legislation creating this regional reform, which is called the Learning Community, established a regional governing body, the Learning Community Coordinating Council, consisting of an elected 21-member…

Applying a Multiple Streams framework, the article documents the development and ultimate undoing of what became known as the national sales tax plan for education. The authors identify four factors that coalesced to lead the Nixon administration to propose replacing local property taxes with a federal value-added tax to finance K-12 education.…

This study examines the use of Schools of Choice throughout Michigan over the last decade. Nearly 100,000 Michigan students use Schools of Choice to attend a school outside of the district in which they live. Participation has grown steadily, with enrollment growing by 144 percent over the past 10 years. This study finds that students enter…

Many school districts are in need of a successful plan of action for school district referendums. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the perceived effectiveness between factors and strategies surrounding referendums and the passage of those measures meant to improve school funding and facilities. The findings from Johnson and…

From the glamour and glitz of Hollywood to the technological hub of Silicon Valley, from the majestic Redwoods to the surfers off the Malibu beaches, California is a state of contrasts in many ways, including its politics. The contrasts extend to its public education system, from the renowned University of California system, which employs more…

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…