This article examines some implications of the Serrano vs Priest decision for Oregon's system of financing public schools. The author presents one alternative financing method -- a Statewide system to assess, collect, and disburse to each district or county an amount equalized on a per student basis. The status of the school financing system in…

Behind the concept of power equalization is the assumption that at any specified tax rate every school district in a State, regardless of wealth, has the same dollar resource level per pupil. A State established schedule of local district funding level choices related to tax rates is essential; however, tax levels are always a product of the…

This report is one of a series on education finance undertaken to document existing disparities in expenditures for education, to analyze the sources of the disparities, and to describe and evaluate the gains and losses that would occur in differing types of school districts under alternative fiscal policies. This study shows that North Carolina's…

In this report, the author describes and examines some of the policy alternatives available for the implementation of an equitable system of school finance. The author provides statistics that trace the historical disparities in interdistrict school expenditures, describes recent court challenges to school finance systems, and discusses both full…

This booklet contains a brief analysis of four "real life" alternatives (Minnesota, Michigan, Kansas, and New York) for State systems of funding schools, along with a concise conceptual framework for approaching the study of school finance reform. Because the booklet was prepared as a practical guide for State legislators, the authors avoid highly…

This analysis provides an overview of the educational finance problem, particularly as it relates to property tax burdens and equality of education. It also describes some systems of State funding and outlines and evaluates possible solutions to the finance problem. Some of these solutions include (1) increased Federal aid, (2) a local nonproperty…

The basic purpose of this paper is to marshal the arguments for and against full State funding and to begin delineating the practical problems of moving to full funding in New York State. Full State funding is defined as the assumption of substantially all responsibility for financing local elementary and secondary education from State and Federal…

Full State assumption of educational finance would (1) distribute educational resources according to children's learning needs, rather than local property values, (2) provide a wide range of subject and topic choices to students, (3) remove financial barriers now confining low income areas, (4) encourage State governments to raise educational…

An essential prerequisite to reform of present methods of financing elementary and secondary schools and the development of an equitable, adequate, and workable system of school finance is a precise understanding of how the existing system works and its impact on different school districts and population groups. This report documents the existing…