Fiscal federalism can be an important complement to structural reforms and budget consolidation. Empowering sub national governments, while at the same time making them accountable to local citizens in the uses of tax money, could improve the allocation of public resources and promote catch up of the lagging regions. Italy has launched itself in…

This practicum report describes a step-by-step plan followed by the author and his employer, the Massachusetts Teachers' Association (MTA), to correct the fiscal disparities that existed in the Massachusetts school finance system and to provide property tax relief to Massachusetts taxpayers. The plan included assessing the existing Massachusetts…

Reviews the United States' fiscal situation and the outlook for local, state, and federal government support of education. Focuses on the impact of decentralization of education financing under a conservative government and on the influence of federal budget deficits on school finance. Includes suggestions for educators in seeking financial…

The greatest single matter of concern before policy boards, officers, and administrators is seen as the question of financing the ongoing operation of the college, the university, or the system of higher education. Unionization, affirmative action, student recruitment, tenure, educational competition, changing modes of instruction all have…

The last 2 years have been a period of dramatic fiscal change in the states. The states' fiscal condition continued to weaken along with the economy toward the end of the 1980s. This caused 26 states to raise more than $10 billion in new revenues in fiscal 1991 in an effort to maintain current programs. The failure of the economy to recover forced…

State and local tax performance in the United States and in the South and implications for the financing of public higher education are considered. It is suggested that despite apparent gains in state tax revenues, little overall growth in real terms has been experienced in the region and nation in recent years, nor can much be expected in the…

An overview of the constitutionality of various state public education finance systems is presented. Issues addressed include education as a fundamental right mandated by the education clause of state constitutions and the impact of the equal protection clause on the education clause. Criteria for successful challenges to state school finance…

Projections developed from the past quarter century trends in New York's tax and spending levels are used to forecast the future financial implications of current fiscal and educational policies. The summary report describes the manner in which the projections are achieved, identifies several concerns and issues associated with the fiscal outlook,…

This report examines factors that contribute to the differences in local education funding, per pupil revenue, and local resident ability to support present and future educational services in West Virginia. Based on a variety of data generated during 1989-92, the study indicates: (1) the differences in support for local education are attributed to…

In 1988, 66 of Tennessee's rural school districts brought suit against the state government claiming that the school funding system of a local option sales tax discriminates against rural areas. This study examines the effects of increased reliance on local sales tax revenue on Tennessee's school expenditures. Not every county can support a major…

This study examines the relationships between various elements of property wealth and operating expenditures per pupil by types of school district--elementary (K-8), high (9-12), and unit (K-12). Elements of property wealth were defined as the equalized assessed valuation per pupil for each of the following property tax classifications:…

Designed for secondary school social studies teachers, this curriculum outline offers suggestions for teaching about the governance, cost, and sources of fiscal support for public education. Although the outline is specifically designed for use by teachers in Michigan, it can be adapted for use in any state. Arranged into five major sections,…

Information is presented on 1980-81 tax performance and educational spending in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states, the relationship of state and local taxes to personal income in all the states, and utilization of tax ability and major tax bases. Additionally, factors producing serious state and local budgetary problems are…

The study reported here provides a theoretical and empirical framework for the analysis of employment tax credit policy (a government subsidy or business tax credit to firms who maintain or expand their use of labor). Various programs are examined from the standpoint of structure and implications. The programs are selective employment incentive;…

This study focuses on how central city school districts can benefit from educational finance reform. The publication is designed for use by both those charged with the responsibility for education matters and by the general public. The document begins with a discussion of the fiscal impact of several popular alternative school finance reforms,…