The formulas used to determine the financial support available to Minnesota's school districts from the state are presented in this booklet along with examples of their application in a hypothetical district. The booklet first reviews a number of terms used in discussing Minnesota's aid program, then describes the foundation programs and…

In describing how the present Texas school finance system actually works, this report considers the historical development of the finance system, provides a breakdown of how money is allocated among and between school districts, and examines the problem of who pays for the schools. The foundation program, other State aid, enrichment, and the…

State officials attempting school finance reform are faced with the three interlocking problems of school finance, property taxation, and the crisis of central cities. The three basic issues to be considered in dealing with these problems are equity, adequacy, and efficiency. This report examines these school finance problems and critiques…

Evidence derived from data accumulated under Vermont's Foundation Plan demonstrates that school district property value is a secondary determinant of school spending level, compared with other factors: the nonresident portion of the property-tax base, resident income, and residents' perceived school-tax burden as a percent of income. (Contains 13…

Recent court decisions requiring changes in State educational finance systems have not invalidated the use of local property taxes as a revenue source for education, nor have they dictated that the same amount of dollars must be spent on every pupil. In short, these decisions have left with the State legislatures the responsibility to fashion new…

An introduction to Minnesota's educational finance system as of school year 1983-84, this compilation describes various aid programs, defines relevant terms, and shows how funds are allocated. The first section defines the following: the Foundation Aid Program, the state's basic school financing mechanism, which includes state and local funds with…

An introduction to Minnesota's educational finance system as of school year 1984-85, this compilation describes various aid programs, defines relevant terms, and shows how funds are allocated. The first section defines the following: the Foundation Aid Program, the state's basic school financing mechanism, which includes state and local funds with…

Under Ohio's existing educational finance plan, the power of school districts to purchase the educational resources commensurate with each district's educational needs is far from equal. Consideration of four specific potential reforms, separately and in combination, indicates that greater equity can be obtained. If Ohio is to avoid substantial…

The Potential Revenue Index (PRI) emphasizes the per cent of current school revenues that are derived from unequalized local taxation. Its purpose is to measure the extent to which potential school per pupil revenues are equalized by various State school support programs. One can also ask how much additional tax revenue people in low wealth school…

The purpose of this manual is to provide information regarding school finance reform in the state of California to the legislature, governor, education department, teachers, and other interest groups. Chapter 1 briefly describes disparities in expenditures for education among California school districts, first using a sample of school districts…

This manual provides an introduction to the system of financing elementary and secondary education in Florida. School finance reform in Florida, the paper notes, has been considered a success primarily due to a grouping of conditions that created an atmosphere conducive to reform. Chapter 1 explains how the state's education finance plan operates…

This manual provides an introduction and guide to the system of financing elementary and secondary education in the state of New York. Chapter 1 explains how the state's education finance plan operates by allowing districts to calculate aid under two foundation formulas. Chapter 2 describes how the state's plan addresses disparities by equalizing…

The current system of school finance in Texas allows for gross inequities among districts. Statistics indicate that although Texas ranks slightly higher than the nation's average in state wealth, its support of schools, as measured by the percentage of personal income devoted to education, ranks about 35th. These figures suggest that the state…

This paper examines previous changes in school finance reform, makes some future projections about the direction finance reform might go, and indicates what strategies seem particulary effective. It begins at the Federal level by taking a look at the overall Federal budget picture and its implications for the Federal role. The author proposes that…

This report is one of a series on education finance undertaken to document existing disparities in expenditures for education, to analyze the sources of the disparities, and to describe and evaluate the gains and losses that would occur in differing types of school districts under alternative fiscal policies. This study shows that North Carolina's…