In states that depend on property taxes for school revenues, fair administration of the property tax is essential to ensure equitable state aid to all districts. Questions relevant to implementing a strategy for enhancing public support of the property tax as a source of local school revenue are answered in this report. The questions deal with the…

One State official says that revenue sharing is the greatest hoax'' of the year because it misleads the public into believing that more federal funds are available to the States when in reality they give it with one hand and take it away quietly with another.'' (Author/JN)

User charges are explored as an alternative source of finance for educational investment in Malawi. Two major issues are addressed: first, are families able and willing to pay; and second, what can users accomplish in terms of expanding the size of realized enrollment, given the public budget constraint. An analysis of data from primary and…

Because of the individual authority of each State for its own educational program, practices and policies differ widely among them in many respects. Yet in the midst of differences there are also common elements of development. The U. S. Office of Education, in presenting this series of monographs, has attempted to point out those common elements,…

To identify 5-year trends in revenues and expenditures for Pennsylvania's 500 school districts and to show how fiscal trends interact with changes in variables such as student enrollment, statewide school financial data from 1984-85 through 1988-89 are analyzed. The figures indicated that financial trends include increases in total district…

Issues surrounding costs and financing of education in developing countries are examined. The focus is primarily on Sub-Saharan Africa and within Francophone West Africa. International comparative data are used to evaluate educational cost issues, including total expenditures, expenditures per pupil, cost of teachers, student aid, other current…

In reviewing the history of educational finances in New Mexico from 1850 to the present, the evolution of the state's financing program and the reasons for its unique separation of educational finances from educational programs is explored. The state's rational, forward-looking approach to public education is attributed to federal neglect when New…

A reply is offered to Joseph Pechman and Ira Sharkansky, who have refuted the contentions of the authors in their book, "Benefits, Costs, and Finance of Public Higher Education," which deals with the size and distribution of costs and benefits. Pechman and Sharkansky's critique, "The Distributional Effects of Public Higher Education…

Discussion of inequity in funding of Pennsylvania schools has tended to focus on differences between wealthy and poor school districts. In Pennsylvania, 180 school districts have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the existing public school funding scheme. A study of the state's 500 school districts, grouped by market value of…

Local teacher associations are urged to share this handbook with school administrators and citizens as the first step in a cooperative effort in school finance campaigns. Advice is given to administrators, teachers, and citizens on planning the campaign, the role of teachers and education associations, developing strategy, identifying the voters,…

The need for reform in school financing is crucial and urgent. The regressive and anachronistic practice of financing schools through local property taxes perpetuates inequities detrimental to students and unfair to parents and taxpayers. Although it is the students in the inner cities that require special, more costly educational approaches,…

In 1994, Michigan voters approved Proposal A, which reduced school property taxes, increased the sales tax, and established a per-pupil funding guarantee for public schools. This report describes the effects of Proposal A and challenges to it. Since Proposal A was implemented, funding for schools has grown substantially while property taxes have…

Fiscal year appropriations for 1982-1983 and supporting data are presented for comparative analysis of state financing of public higher education. M. M. Chamber's annual data on state higher education appropriations are used. The data are based on a model of state rankings for seven independent factors plus eight derived measurements, which…

The analytical problems faced by gross interstate comparisons of higher education funding are reviewed, the overall usefulness to decision-makers of interstate comparisons, and other approaches to comparative analysis are considered. It is claimed that the usefulness of gross interstate comparisons is limited, since both technical and structural…

A model that is designed to measure and provide early understanding of the principle factors governing state support of public higher education and which is based on M. M. Chamber's annual data on state higher education appropriations is described. Design principles of the model are identified. The model consists of seven independent factors, four…