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…

Issues in public school finance are discussed in this research monograph, with an emphasis on Texas. Chapter 1 provides a national historical overview, examining the changing definition of equality. The second chapter examines equity challenges in the courts, specifically, two major types of constitutional issues: (1) equal protection clauses of…

In response to a legislative inquiry, a study was conducted by the Washington State Board for Community College Education (SBCCE) to determine the adequacy of policies and laws governing the state funding classification of community college courses. During the study, the SBCCE examined the extent to which the colleges were financing courses with a…

Public schools in New Jersey are financed primarily by local property taxes. This system of finance is unconstitutional, according to the New Jersey Supreme Court, and therefore it must be revised. The proposals for revision range from very slight increases in state school aid to complete state financing of schools, but all of the proposals shift…

This paper attempts both to provide a way of looking at school finance in order to make wiser decisions about it and to discuss some alternative ways to finance the public schools of New York State. The New York school finance system is examined in terms of equity, efficiency, and responsiveness, as are some of the characteristics of the…

This book offers an overview of educational finance law and examines constitutional challenges to state aid plans. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to education finance litigation, including the early history of education finance litigation and early education finance theory. Chapter 2 discusses the states' responsibilities for providing equal…

Based on information provided by state directors of community/junior college education, this report reviews state approaches to community college financing. The report includes data from 35 states, which together accounted for 86.3% of the total enrollment in community/junior colleges in 1980. Section I presents conclusions drawn from the data,…

The role of the state in funding California's community colleges may change in the wake of Proposition 13 cutbacks. Any system of statewide support must be developed around several assumptions: (1) state support will increase; (2) the college mission will remain unchanged; (3) educational demand will continue to play a substantial role in how the…

In 1980, the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) proposed several alternative funding formulas for the state's public-assisted institutions in anticipation of enrollment declines. Two alternatives, involving subsidy ceilings and free competition for students, were dismissed in favor of a third alternative involving a system of voluntary restraints in…

This paper seeks a plan for financing education in Ontario that minimizes the disruptive effects of declining enrollment and changing enrollment patterns, is sensitive to the limitation of resources, and provides clear channels of authority and responsibility between citizen and policy maker. The author considers the alternatives for placing the…

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…

This paper examines the development of Alaska's Public School Fund, its current status, and its potential as a major revenue source for elementary and secondary education. The fund, which was created following the 1915 federal school lands grant to Alaska, is examined for the 1916-58 territorial period, the 1959-78 early statehood period, and the…

This paper describes the development of school finance reform in Oregon from 1968 through legislative enactments in 1973 and proposals for the voters in 1974. The first section describes the 1973 school finance reform proposal, rejected by voters, as it was originally submitted (whereby the State would have assumed 95 percent of the operating…

Just 1 day before a court-imposed deadline of June 1, 1993, Texas Governor Ann Richards signed into law Senate Bill 7 (S.B. 7), the newest version of the Texas school finance system. This paper describes the state's new school finance system with regard to the following: (1) its constitutionality; (2) the provision of a system that equalizes…

Most arguments for fiscal equity in financing America's schools have been based on constitutional provisions and on the socio-political dogma that underlies a democratic society. This paper approaches the subject using as its theoretical basis a document even more basic to the founding of the republic than the Constitution--the Bible. Using the…