After noting that only 43.6 percent of the dollar value of school bond issues submitted to U.S. voters was approved during 1968-69, the author discusses various State grant and loan school construction programs. Alternatives to, and suggestions for, financing public school construction, as well as guidelines for developing State capital outlay…

This study analyzes the self-help capabilities of the States to equip themselves with a highly productive State-local revenue system that could underwrite a major share of school costs. The present state-local revenue system is said to be impaired in its productivity and equity by: (1) the regressive impact of property, general sales, and…

Reviews the background of the property tax from ancient antecedents through the history of the United States, with particular reference to the rise of free public education. Issues discussed include major influences on the development of schools, tax limitations, the expansion of state and federal aid, and future projections. (MJL)

This hearing discusses proposed legislation which would reauatorize federal impact aid as part of the Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education Act of 1987. Three members of Congress and the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education presented testimony. Recommendations included the…

This study of the fiscal, legal, and political dimensions of reform in American school finance responds to the challenge of San Antonio Independent School District vs. Rodriguez. The book focuses specifically on the State of Texas and the way in which injustices were analyzed for the landmark Rodriguez case. The book goes on to describe the role…

The Federal Government has a responsibility to help States and localities meet specific education needs that involve the national interest. It has a companion responsibility to provide such assistance with as much equity, simplicity, and stability as possible. For greater equity in the distribution of Federal funds, Congress should reform the…

The justifications for substantial additional federal funding which were persuasive toward the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) are even more compelling today as cutbacks in educational services occur across the nation. Since 1971 there have been widespread changes in state systems of school finance as a result of…

Idaho's patchwork-quilt way of financing schools does not provide enough stable financial resources for many rural schools. Tax levies are sometimes unsuccessful. Some rural districts have depended on forest revenues, but this source dwindled following new environmental policies. Federal legislation may return a portion of forest revenues, but…

In this paper, the author examines the Federal role in the financing of schools given the facts of rising costs, pressure for greater equalization, court rulings that clearly place basic responsibility for financing of public education in the hands of the State, and given severe limitations on Federal funds. Matters considered include Federal…

Alaska's public schools cost $1.2 billion in the 1992-93 school year. That included both operating and capital spending and amounted to about $10,000 for each of the state's 119,000 elementary and secondary students. Roughly one-quarter of the state government's general fund budget went to the schools, covering 64 percent of costs. About 30…

This policy statement for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities addresses student assistance, categorical/institutional assistance, tax policies, government regulation/self-regulation, and corporate and foundation policies. NAICU recommends to the Congress and the Administration a legislative amendment to Title IV of…

After being placed on the back burner during the 1980s, school finance is again a major issue. In the 1970s, reliance on property taxes created school district disparities because of unequal tax bases. Legislative reforms enacted between 1971 and 1985 had the following characteristics: school finance formulas were revamped; the state role in…

The discrepancy between a city's financial obligations and its fiscal capacity to meet those obligations with reasonable effort is referred to in this paper as "municipal overburden." The literature concerning the causes and the impact of municipal overburden on school support for essential school services is analyzed. Attempted…

Cases related to school finance, in which decisions were handed down in 1982, are reviewed in this chapter. It is observed that the constitutionality of existing state school finance programs was upheld in New York, Colorado, and Georgia, and that litigation was prevalent in the areas of taxation for schools and uses of school revenue. Issues…