A major feature of the school finance landscape over the last two decades has been the reform of state school finance systems. Using the case of Maryland's Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act, this paper extends the current literature by developing a conceptual framework for residential bidding and sorting and using it to estimate housing…

This dissertation examines the impact a Tax Ratification Election has on student achievement in Texas. Texas schools continue to struggle with shrinking budgets and increasing standards of student achievement (Equity Center, 2011). This study will provide greater insight into whether school districts that have completed a TRE have created a…

This case, inspired by a real school district scenario, was developed for use in a graduate-level course in school finance. James Spencer had just been selected as the new superintendent of a low-income, 400-student, rural school district in need of many capital improvements. The previous superintendent had refused to hold a bond election because…

Michigan's state-run school system is the largest and most expensive government service taxpayers support. It employs more than 350,000 people who work in one of the more than 4,100 different entities. The total amount this system expends each year adds up to more than $20 billion. Given the enormity and complexity of the system, it's no surprise…

Analysis of figures nationwide indicates that local school districts have reduced their reliance on property taxes while states have increased support for schools. However, states face serious fiscal problems, and the property tax system should be reviewed in light of the need for more local support for schools. (MJL)

Alaska's Public School Foundation Program, based on an instructional unit funding formula, enables the state to meet fiscal equalization criteria outlined in the federal PL 81-874 law (the disparity test). Alaska must meet the guidelines to utilize approximately $44 million in PL 81-874 funds within the state foundation plan as general revenues.…

Is there a crisis in Oregon school finance? Before policymakers can formulate answers, assessment and definition of the problem are necessary. This paper examines the current state of Oregon school finance, including reform efforts over the last 20 years from policy and grass roots level perspectives. It then assesses the current school funding…

Simulation of the effects of five selected fiscal constraint programs was compared. The authors conclude that fiscal limits are unlikely to have large effects on a state's total economic activity, and any impacts may be negative. The revenue sources and expenditures most affected are policy decisions; education is a significant loser under…

Explores the ramifications of the wealth tax as an alternative funding source for elementary and secondary education in Florida by constructing and quantifying a wealth tax base for the state of Florida and each of its school districts. (JG)

Part of a series on state educational finances, this manual aims to help Texas educators, legislators, and citizens understand school finance reforms by providing them with an overview of their state's public elementary and secondary education financing plan and by exploring selected issues in school finance. An introductory chapter traces the…

This document evaluates the tax burden changes that occur as selected local service functions are shifted to State government. The primary emphasis is on the analysis of alternative systems on the residents of the two central cities of the standard metropolitan statistical area, Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas. (NTIS)

This study examines the consequences of alternative financing arrangements for secondary and elementary education. There is an analysis of the characteristics of the present system of State aid. The study evaluates the incidence of major State and local taxes and then determines the distributional consequences of shifting from local to State…

The decade from 1987 to 1997 saw two unsuccessful attempts to reform Illinois's school finance system from a constitutional perspective. In 1997, prospective reforms will probably be limited by partisanship, revenues and anti-tax sentiment, regional antipathies, fragmentation, and pressures for property tax relief. (MLH)

This document contains eight articles that offer a nonpartisan evaluation of the pros and cons associated with tax reforms. They were written by members of the Technical Study Group, which was established by the New York State Department of Education in 1994 to examine the generation of revenue for public education. The work of the study group…