Discusses the interplay of legal, fiscal, and educational policy surrounding the implementation of the New Jersey landmark decision, Robinson vs Cahill. (Author)

Summarizes the findings of an Educational Testing Service study on the effectiveness of New Jersey's 1976 state reforms to equalize school taxes and to provide a "Thorough and Efficient" education. (SJL)

Presents the full text of the New Jersey case that found the method of financing public education in that State to be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. (JF)

The first part of this document (and Appendix A) focuses on New Jersey as a microcosm of the problems, questions, and issues involved in revising the existing system of how school costs are paid. New Jersey is particularly suited for such analysis because for years it depended heavily on the local school property tax, to an even greater extent…

Public schools in New Jersey are financed primarily by local property taxes. This system of finance is unconstitutional, according to the New Jersey Supreme Court, and therefore it must be revised. The proposals for revision range from very slight increases in state school aid to complete state financing of schools, but all of the proposals shift…

This document reports on a survey of 30 school districts (five percent of all New Jersey school districts) which contain over two-thirds of the State's total minority enrollment. Twenty-three of the 30 districts are classified as urban communities and over 98 percent of the minority students live in them. Property taxes are the primary source of…

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 current system of financing postsecondary education in New Jersey and that proposed by the Booher Commission in its final report, "Financing in an Era of Uncertainty," are compared. The Booher Commission was a public, blue ribbon commission appointed by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. Implementation of the recommendations…

Problems associated with state support for community colleges are discussed with particular emphasis on situations where local college districts are responsible for providing a portion of total institutional revenue. Three of these problems, relating to the equity and efficiency of how state aid is distributed, are: (1) the integration of direct…

Volume 1 of a two-volume series, this case study tells the story of the events and decisions associated with the 1976 court-ordered shutdown of schools in New Jersey. It also analyzes the state educational decision-making structure. The school closing was undertaken because, according to the New Jersey Supreme Court, the state had not properly…