President Barack Obama submitted his third budget request to Congress on February 14th, 2011. The detailed budget request includes proposed funding levels for federal programs and agencies in aggregate for the upcoming 10 fiscal years, and specific fiscal year 2012 funding levels for individual programs subject to appropriations. Congress will use…

The deduction of state and local taxes in computing federal tax has been a effective though hidden form of federal assistance to education since 1862.This article estimates the state-by-state impact of eliminating such support in fiscal year 1987, as suggested in recent tax reform proposals. (17 references) (MLH)

When taxation is based on ability to pay and programs are targeted at a minimum service level, every state with any population that requires the service must participate. States and localities receive grants only because groups and individuals are to be treated equally. The role of the recipient government is the provision of the minimum…

The Federal government can meet its responsibility to ensure a certain minimum level of living for its citizens in two ways. An income-tested approach provides minimum standards of income, goods, and/or services for only the poor. A non-income-tested approach provides minimum standards for all citizens, regardless of income. This paper reports on…

Diverse economic, social, and legal concerns have brought renewed attention to the problem of financing public schools. The primary economic concern is preparing students to compete successfully in the international marketplace. The change in demographics of the United States also is a major social concern for education. Legal concerns focus on…

The following topics of immediate concern to the American Federation of Teachers are discussed in terms of their current status and future plans for action: (1) federal aid to education; (2) bilingual education; (3) pensions, benefits, and retirement; (4) effective lobbying; (5) civil rights; (6) collective bargaining and union membership; (7)…

This report is intended to provide a brief overview of public school finance in Vermont as of 1975. Because it is aimed at a wide audience including legislators, school board members, and taxpayers, the booklet is written in generally nontechnical language and each section is designed so that it may be read independently. Separate sections of the…

The main thesis presented is that the need for state-level planning for the community college requires increased state-level financial support, yet, at the same time essential local autonomy must be preserved. Areas such as cost-analysis and program-budgeting techniques that govern state support, the way cost-benefit decisions affect the ideal of…

A majority of the 50 states are currently experiencing budget problems as a result of recent changes in the fiscal roles of federal, state, and local governments. Four major factors are responsible for the recent deterioration of state budgets: (1) reductions in federal aid to states and localities, (2) changes in the federal corporate and…

This study investigates two problems related to federal support of elementary and secondary education in Canada: dynamic imbalances between the spending responsibilities and taxing powers of the federal and provincial governments, and the inability of different provinces to achieve comparable educational services at similar levels of financial…

After being placed on the back burner during the 1980s, school finance is again a major issue. In the 1970s, reliance on property taxes created school district disparities because of unequal tax bases. Legislative reforms enacted between 1971 and 1985 had the following characteristics: school finance formulas were revamped; the state role in…

The Revenue Sharing Act appropriated $30.2 billion for distribution to State and local governments, including Indian tribes and Alaskan native villages, according to specified formulas for a 5-year period beginning January 1, 1972. Through June 30, 1974, funds were distributed to 230 Indian tribes located in 29 States and to 93 Alaskan native…

The term "school finance" refers to the levying of taxes to obtain revenue for our public elementary and secondary schools. For most people it brings to mind the local property tax, teacher salaries, and, perhaps, some personal memories of their own experiences in the schools. For state legislators school finance brings to mind the…

Argues that recent federal education legislation will not eliminate unequal funding, school performance inequities, and student achievement gaps that have persisted in the poorest school districts. Asserts that adequate, equitable, and targeted human and financial resources and standards are necessary, and that the slight increases in federal…