Many states have found that financing public schools through local property taxes is unlawful under their state constitutions; as a result, they must consider using state tax revenue as the primary source of local school-district funding. The recent California experience provides a sample of political economic behaviors used to respond to the…

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…

"Grapevine" presents timely data on state tax legislation, state appropriations for universities, colleges, and junior colleges, and legislation affecting education beyond the high school. This compilation presents issues of "Grapevine," published between 1977 and 1988, containing such articles on community colleges as: (1) "State 2-Year Colleges…

This report summarizes enrollment, costs, and funding information for North Idaho College (NIC) and the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) for 1972 and 1977, explores new options for the future, and presents academic and vocational division funding information and capital construction data. Academic student enrollment at NIC increased 35% between…

Based on an examination of the socioeconomic factors likely to affect community college financing in California from 1980 to 1985, this report presents recommendations for community college fiscal legislation during the state's 1981-82 legislative session. The report first outlines 17 assumptions concerning future trends in community college…

Proposition 13 (Jarvis-Gann Initiative) and its impact on higher education and students are analyzed in this report prepared by the National Student Association. The initiative, passed in California in 1978, fixed property taxes at one percent and allowed the level to rise by two percent annually. It is suggested, however, that the beneficiaries…

This report provides an overview of the State school aid distribution plan passed by the New Mexico legislature in 1974. The previous school finance plan, passed in 1969, and the problems school districts experienced under that plan are briefly described, followed by a discussion of the 1974 legislation. The new plan is a weighted-pupil formula…

During 1996-97 each of the three branches of Wisconsin State government--the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative--experienced substantial activity regarding educational finance policies. After describing Wisconsin's current school-finance system, this paper examines Wisconsin school finance based on the 1996-97 actions of the judiciary,…

This paper is the seventh in a biennial series summarizing state and federal public policy issues affecting higher education. The purpose is to provide board members and other higher education officials with brief descriptions of the most important public policy issues. In one way or another, most of the public policy issues cited in this paper…

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…

Although the Illinois Farmland Assessment Act is not an educational finance reform but is designed to ease the increasing tax burden on the state's farmland and provide a uniform, state-wide method of farmland tax valuation, it has a significant impact on K-12 public school financing because of the relationship between property and public school…

The role of the state in funding California's community colleges may change in the wake of Proposition 13 cutbacks. Any system of statewide support must be developed around several assumptions: (1) state support will increase; (2) the college mission will remain unchanged; (3) educational demand will continue to play a substantial role in how the…

In response to advocates of an expanded mission for community colleges, this three-part monograph examines the conflict between aspirations for continuing mission development and financial constraints. Part I reviews the development of six aspects of the current community college mission: transfer, vocational, developmental, continuing education,…

In a collection of statistical summaries, the following information regarding New Mexico two-year colleges is presented for each institution: (1) 1977-78 average full-time faculty salaries; (2) 1975-76 unrestricted expenditures for instruction, academic support, student services, institutional support, and plant operation; (3) local district tax…

The present public library financing system is described and assessed, and the key issues for consideration in either reaffirming its continued use or in the development of new approaches are delineated. Special emphasis is given to illuminating those issues and factors affecting metropolitan areas--both core city and suburban fringes. The…