This dissertation examines the impact a Tax Ratification Election has on student achievement in Texas. Texas schools continue to struggle with shrinking budgets and increasing standards of student achievement (Equity Center, 2011). This study will provide greater insight into whether school districts that have completed a TRE have created a…

An overview of recent legislation in the field of educational finance reform which describes a number of similarities among the bills enacted after the Serrano decision but before the first major reversals of some of the earlier decisions. Weaknesses common to these efforts are detailed and indications of future trends are suggested. An Appendix…

This report analyzes the impact of California's 1972 Senate Bill 90 and 1973 Assembly Bill 1267 as they have affected public school finance in California. The portions of SB 90 and AB 1267 that pertain to operating school districts contain general property tax rollback and revenue limit features, as well as mechanisms designed to lessen the…

This statistical analysis of funding equalization from 1970 to 1981 evaluates the distributional equity achieved by Florida's school finance plan and examines the relationship between selected per pupil revenue measures and variables thought to influence school district spending, concluding that greater equity has not been attained. (MJL)

New York State's School Tax Relief Aid (STAR) heavily favors wealthier districts, partially reversing equalizing effects that state aid is designed to have. Normally state school aid helps bring less wealthy school districts closer to the standard of wealthier districts. It increases and makes up the lost revenue from taxpayers in the state as a…

A report sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Education examines the equity and adequacy of school finance at the state level. The quality of education is still largely determined by where a child lives. Since 1989, more than a dozen school systems have been ruled unconstitutional by state high courts. It has been unclear who…

Formed by the Connecticut legislature to monitor the state's educational aid plan, the Educational Equity Study Committee in this report joins with the state Board of Education in recommending amendments to Connecticut's 1979 school finance reform law, involving changes in the state's Minimum Expenditure Requirement (MER) plan and Guaranteed Tax…

This report describes and evaluates the record of reform in several states that have revised their school finance systems since 1971. The introductory chapter provides an overview of reform's recent successes, shortcomings, and prospects. Six subsequent chapters offer a close look at its main features. Chapters 2 and 3 analyze new school aid…

This report consists mainly of four separate issue papers, each prepared by an individual committee of the Minnesota School Task Force. Topics of the papers include educational management systems, Minnesota's state foundation aid program, school tax levy limitations, and educational overburden. In addition to the issue papers, the report also…

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…

This paper provides background information relating to a school finance reform movement in Utah and describes the passage of a 1973 bill that provides a power equalizing system to redistribute excess revenue from local taxes in combination with State uniform school funds for a guaranteed program to all districts. The law should bring the level of…

Achieving a state education finance program that is fair to students, taxpayers, teachers, and school districts is complicated by varying student needs and different property tax rates and school expenses among districts. Attempts at equitable allocation of state aid funds and other educational resources should be guided by the principles of…

To determine adequate, fair, and efficient methods of public school finance for the state of Illinois, this study collected and synthesized data on state revenues collected in 1980-81 and distributed to school districts in 1981-82. Researchers examined current alternative methods of distributing state and federal funds to Illinois public schools…

To explore the issue of school finance reform, a series of community forums held across the state were carried out, the results of which are presented. The paper provides some major findings: a basic school finance system already exists, namely, property taxes supplemented by equalized state aid; the magnitude of the school property tax means…

After tracing the historical development of its present school finance system, the author considers Minnesota's school finance court cases and the finance disparities among its local school districts that led the 1971 legislature to increase State aid given to local school districts for maintenance expenditures. The document reviews the…