The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the foundation program was an adequate and equitable funding mechanism for public schools in the state of Alabama. This study analyzed funding and academic data and evaluated adequacy and equity through the lenses of poverty, geographic location, local tax effort, and type of school…

This article provides information on Maryland's state education finance and governance. The state provides a foundation funding program, which guarantees a minimum or foundation level of per-pupil expenditures for children in all the state's school systems; this is done through a combination of state aid and local revenue. In 2002, Maryland…

Examined disequalizing effects of two nonvoted millage rates (discretionary millage and the school capital improvement millage) when combined with revenues obtained through the equalized foundation portion of the Florida Education Finance Program. Although discretionary levies add a slightly disequalizing component to the foundation program…

The rationale of power equalization approaches are explored, and the advantages, shortcomings, and details of operation are examined. A power equalization bill proposed by the Ohio Legislature is analyzed in terms of projected costs, impact on educational programs, and to bring out problems of grafting power equalization programs onto existing…

Analysis of developments in school finance from 1971 to 1982 reveals that, although revenue equity is moderate by national standards, Maryland ranks poorly on measures of wealth neutrality. Reform efforts have had little effect on equity due in part to the relatively low level of the foundation. (MJL)

Critically examines state equalization plans; emphasizes post-Serrano efforts in California. (IRT)

Describes some of the major trends and developments in Canadian school finance and discusses some of the key school finance issues presently facing provincial governments. (Author/JG)

Presents a proposal to achieve major finance reform goals by providing property tax relief and increasing state funding out of income-tax receipts, relying on Illinois' growth dividend. The plan is funded by proportional taxes and would make school reform more politically palatable to affluent taxpayers. (28 footnotes) (MLH)

Part of a three-volume report on the effects of school finance reform, this volume examines the effects of reform on Michigan school districts' budgets from 1971 to 1976. Econometric models were used. Researchers found a very small "price" effect--an elasticity of -.02. The data provide no evidence that state matching grants stimulate…

The first part of this document (and Appendix A) focuses on New Jersey as a microcosm of the problems, questions, and issues involved in revising the existing system of how school costs are paid. New Jersey is particularly suited for such analysis because for years it depended heavily on the local school property tax, to an even greater extent…

Part of a series on state education finance, this manual is intended to help Missouri educators, legislators, and citizens understand school finance reform by providing them with an overview of Missouri's financial aid to public elementary and secondary schools and by exploring selected issues in financial equity in education. The first chapter…

Part of a three-volume report on the effects of school finance reform, this volume summarizes principal findings of the studies presented in the other volumes. The report summarizes school finance reforms enacted between 1972 and 1974 in California, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, and New Mexico. It recounts what happened to school taxing and spending…

The Tennessee School Finance Equity Study was begun in 1978 to review the equity and adequacy of Tennessee's Public School Finance Program. Changes in the structure of the Tennessee Foundation Program (TFP) did achieve greater equity in the amount of funds local districts obtained from the foundation program even though the residence of the…

School finance reform plans have not been accompanied by research demonstrating that they will result in fundamental changes in educational quality. The objective of this study was to quantify school district quality measures and to assess the effects of expenditure levels on these factors. The source of data was the New York State Department of…