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)

This document examines various ways for school districts to inform taxpayers about positive educational programs in order to convince them that a particular public school system is worth the investment. A school district needs to create good public relations in order to "sell" taxpayers on an educational program. Thus educators must show that they…

This report measures the inequities in school taxes on New York State residential property that result from assessment nonuniformity. The index of nonuniformity is a measure of the average percentage difference in school tax bills paid by owners of like residential properties in the same school district but in separate assessing units. Using this…

Today local control over education seems to face the most serious challenge in its history. The movement to reform school finance raises the specter of the State assuming its formal consitutional powers and removing autonomy from the communities. Hence, it is argued, as the State takes over control of taxation and expenditures it will want to…

Assesses the predictability of educational fiscal performance on the local level by analyzing three dimensions of fiscal performance: locally generated revenue, total expenditures and the levels of aid received by the local unit. (Author/JM)

The third annual survey of the Illinois Rural Life Panel included questions on school taxes, improvements to strengthen local schools, satellite technology, extracurricular activities, and career opportunities after high school. Results from a sample of approximately 2,000 residents in the 76 Illinois nonmetropolitan counties included: (1) 54…

This paper analyzes Texas Senate Bill 351 that reforms public school funding. The bill provides for additional state funding and significant increases in local property taxes. The bill creates county education taxing units to neutralize the enormous property wealth differences found among the state's 1,056 school districts. It also provides a…

The goal of the doctoral dissertation summarized here was to find an equitable school finance plan that applied the same tax rate in all districts and resulted in the smallest variance in the expenditure per weighted pupil unit (WPU) between districts in Arizona for the 1971-72 school year. Six finance plans were developed for analysis and were…

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)

School district bond ratings, issued on request by Standard and Poor's Corporation or Moody's Investors Service, hold implications for school districts' financial management. Ultimately, the bond rating assigned is a factor affecting the total cost of the bond issuance, related to the principal and interest payments over the life of the debt. A…

Thirteen tables present 1979-1980 data on public school enrollment, revenue sources, capital and operating expenditures, debt, and cash and security holdings. Data are provided for each state, for categories of school-district enrollment size, and for all individual school systems with over 15,000 students. Revenues and expenditures for each state…

This report is one of a series of statements relating to the Oregon Board of Education priorities for Oregon education. It first identifies the factors contributing to the financial problem and then proposes activities to (1) simplify the structure by which education finance operates, (2) stabilize financing of the education program, (3)…

The Pennsylvania legislature is considering a school finance proposal, exemplified by House Bill 113 of the 2003 legislative session, that would shift some school funding away from local property taxes and toward state funds and local income taxes. The proposal would give greater proportional benefits to homeowners with lower property values. A…