Public school districts sustained by property taxes inhibit equal distribution of education resources, overburden low wage earners, and foster inefficient labor practices. A move to the state level appears inevitable. (Editor)

The short focus which follows is limited to a consideration of State support systems, specifically statewide provision for local district financing. (Author/RK)

Discusses racial inequality in educational funding and other educational opportunities throughout the United States. Argues that reliance on local taxes as a primary source of school funding and the sanctity of local school-district boundaries are the main institutional obstacles to the elimination of racial inequality. (CAJ)

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…

This paper outlines school finance issues that have emerged due to litigation on the constitutionality of school funding at the state level. Such funding varies from state to state, ranging from 8 percent in New Hampshire to 74 percent in New Mexico; per-child expenditures range from $1,500 to $15,000. Beginning in the 1970s, poor school districts…

Provides an exploratory assessment of financial support levels in districts with different proportions of Black children in seven southern states. The range of support varied considerably among the states. (IRT)

This study of five metropolitan areas indicates increasing social and economic inequalities among suburban schools. In addition, the metropolitan areas seemed to be developing contiguous sectors of "advantaged" school districts and "disadvantaged" school districts. Financial differences are at the base of the inequalities, with high income/low tax…

Two constitutional issues continued to dominate litigation related to school finance during 1977. Questions concerning the spending of public funds for the benefit of students attending private schools (for example, Wolman v. Walter) continued to arise in both state and federal courts. Also, cases involving the constitutionality of state school…

In this paper, the political and economic forces influencing attempts to reduce the inequalities in education expenditures are examined. Current programs for financing public education (local, State, and Federal) are compared. In general, State-local tax systems are found to be regressive and improvements are suggested. Inequitability of State aid…

1974 is a watershed for New Jersey public schools, a time when the State is under court order to reform its discriminatory and ineffective method of raising and distributing educational revenues. The existing approach to financing education in the state of New Jersey assigns higher educational resources to pupils in richer school districts, yet…

The conceptual differences between the foundation program and educational needs approaches to the distribution of school funds are analyzed. Under the foundation approach, the state generally guarantees that, irrespective of local wealth, every child will have a minimum number of dollars expended on his education. In operation, the foundation…

This comprehensive reference reviews court decisions affecting the operation, management, and governance of public schools. This edition analyzes all public school cases decided during the 1982 calendar years and reported in West's Regional, Federal, and Supreme Court Resports, through the December 1982 advance sheets. Included as well are 1981…