Summarizes alternative tax systems available to school districts in Ohio and reviews their development. Presents socioeconomic information about the populations of two Ohio towns, summarizes limitations of the property tax as the primary source of local school funds, and discusses implications of passing a city-district income tax in Euclid, Ohio.…

A synopsis is presented of Alabama higher education-related legislation that gained approval and a detailed analysis of the 1979-80 appropriations for higher education is provided. Both special and regular sessions of the 1979 Alabama Legislature are covered. During the regular session, from April 17, 1979 through July 30, 1979, only 12 of…

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…

During the past 5 years, Oregon has set in motion a set of fundamental changes in state policy that will radically affect schools. It has: (1) reduced property taxes without increasing other taxes in a way that will reduce state/local taxes as a share of income from 12.1 percent of personal income in 1991 to 10.3 percent in 1996; (2) shifted to…

This paper presents an overview of Florida's fiscal status and the state of its educational fiscal reform. Five areas of concern are identified regarding educational finance--adequacy of funding, educational reform initiatives including accountability, equity, alternative tax sources, and communication. These issues indicate a highly unstable…

The funding and operation of Michigan's K-12 public school system was substantially changed in March 1994, with voter approval of a constitutional amendment and legislative adoption of 24 implementing state statutes. The comprehensive school funding proposal substantially reduced local property taxes; increased, and in some cases decreased, the…

This paper describes current school-funding policy issues in Washington State. The first part examines how Initiative 601, an initiative aimed at curbing state taxes and spending, will create fiscal instability for school districts. Difficulties include an expected growth in school enrollment exceeding population growth, an expected growth 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…

Concentrating on states' needs for programs offered by institutions of higher education (IHE) and the manner in which these needs can be met and financed, the 3-part paper analyzes the elements included by "The Chronicle of Higher Education" in its ranking of states' suppoort of higher education based on the results of the Chambers…

Wide scale reform in Texas education financing was enacted in 1984 under the Equal Education Opportunity Act (Texas House Bill 72). This paper examines the reform through an analysis of the newly enacted weighted pupil Foundation School Program (FSP) during the 1985-86 school year. Two modes of inquiry were used: correlational analysis between…

This paper evaluates the equity dimensions of a grant-in-aid system based on the Resource Cost Model (RCM), as proposed by the Illinois State Board of Education. The first section is an independent evaluation of the conceptual and legal aspects of the RCM, focusing on both the weaknesses and the strengths of the model. In the second section, an…

The United States Supreme Court decided two cases in the area of school finance in 1986. It addressed student financial assistance under a vocational rehabilitation program for tuition at a sectarian postsecondary institution in Washington; it also decided a case challenging a state finance program. Cases were heard by other courts in an attempt…

One Supreme Court decision, seven federal appellate decisions, and two district court decisions were published in the area of school finance in 1990. The Supreme Court reviewed a case concerning allegations of school district segregation, along with an ensuing tax assessment issue. Federal appellate courts handed down decisions involving alleged…

In 1989, federal appellate courts ruled on issues regarding a state's role in financing a court-ordered desegregation plan, and the use of federal funds for vocational rehabilitation and Title I programs. State supreme courts decided on the constitutionality of four states' school financing schemes and, in a fifth state, on distribution of federal…

There were no United States Supreme Court decisions in 1987 on either public or private school finance. Cases discussed in this chapter fall under three major topics: (1) public funds for private schools; (2) sources and allocations of public school funds; and (3) school tax issues. Federal appellate court cases included decisions on the…