This article examines the first regional governance reform in public education, created in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area in 2007. The legislation creating this regional reform, which is called the Learning Community, established a regional governing body, the Learning Community Coordinating Council, consisting of an elected 21-member…

This is the first in a trilogy of policy briefs discussing public education and taxes. This brief discusses the challenge facing Texas in funding public education. It also explains why the Texas Supreme Court's recent decision in "West Orange-Cove II" requires increased state appropriations for public education.

There exists a clearly and amply documented need for an alternative to the property tax as a means of supporting public education, and many fiscal experts have expressed themselves in favor of the municipal income tax as a recourse. This analysis attempts to demonstrate that since additional revenues are needed for local governments and an…

An extension of material contained in Chapter 4 of the book, "Benefits, Cost, and Finance of Public Higher Education (Chicago: Markham Publishing Co., 1969).

Property taxes for the cost of educational programs should be virtually eliminated. (Author/JN)

The author examines sources of taxpayer discontent with property taxes and with public education. He proposes full state funding as a solution to education's financial dilemma. (Author/SJL)

A reply is offered to Joseph Pechman and Ira Sharkansky, who have refuted the contentions of the authors in their book, "Benefits, Costs, and Finance of Public Higher Education," which deals with the size and distribution of costs and benefits. Pechman and Sharkansky's critique, "The Distributional Effects of Public Higher Education…

This document begins with a section that discusses the demand for education and the identification of the broad characteristics of an educational system that would fulfill the needs and aspirations of the individual and satisfy the requirements of society. It outlines the history of the crisis in educational finance, discusses the problem of…

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…

State and local tax performance in the United States and in the South and implications for the financing of public higher education are considered. It is suggested that despite apparent gains in state tax revenues, little overall growth in real terms has been experienced in the region and nation in recent years, nor can much be expected in the…

Factors to be considered when developing a new formula for financing public education in Connecticut are discussed in light of the Horton v. Meskill ruling, which declared Connecticut's financing method in violation of the state constitution. Formulas used by other states that may be applicable to Connecticut are also examined. (SF)

Describes model, data, results, and implications of a study attempting to clarify two issues previously overlooked in studies of financing public education with local property taxes: (1) that regionally aggregated data may bias test results, and (2) that local fiscal response to grant programs may vary with the wealth of school districts. (SB)

This report describes a study aimed to help education advocates protect public schools and services from the effects of certain types of economic development subsidies. These subsidies include cutting companies' property taxes and granting long-term diversions of certain districts' property taxes to corporations making investment in those…

This report examines factors that contribute to the differences in local education funding, per pupil revenue, and local resident ability to support present and future educational services in West Virginia. Based on a variety of data generated during 1989-92, the study indicates: (1) the differences in support for local education are attributed to…

In this speech, the author discusses the sources of revenue for public education and the methods of distributing funds for its financing. The discussion is based on the underlying premise that equalizing educational opportunity is desirable. The author points out trends in educational legislation and common philosophical points of view on school…