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…

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)

Analyzes data on the economic prospects of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin--including demographic and economic trends, trends in taxation systems, school revenue and expenditure trends, and future revenue prospects--and offers prognoses for individual states. Generally, short-range revenue prospects are bleak, and long-range…

State legislation that has contributed to the reduction of Arkansas' tax base is described in this paper. Amendment 59, adopted in 1980, has reduced the state tax base by millions of dollars. At the end of 1992, the majority of school districts have equalized their real, personal, and carrier and utility property. Act 34, the current foundation…

In 1994, Michigan voters approved Proposal A, which reduced school property taxes, increased the sales tax, and established a per-pupil funding guarantee for public schools. This report describes the effects of Proposal A and challenges to it. Since Proposal A was implemented, funding for schools has grown substantially while property taxes have…

This paper discusses five scenarios that have had an impact on school finance in the state of South Carolina during recent years. These scenarios include (1) the Education Finance Act of 1977 (EFA); (2) the Education Improvement Act of 1984 (EIA); (3) the issue of fiscal independence; (4) school fees; and (5) school bonds. The EFA was designed to…

The study reported in this document examined Connecticut's present system for financing public education and analyzed alternative systems. On the basis of study findings, some conclusions are presented in this report concerning (1) the total fiscal system within which Connecticut finances its schools, (2) fiscal disparities in the established…

This report provides an analysis of current inequities in school finance in Illinois, the historical roots of those inequities, and an analysis of alternative options for funding primary and secondary education. An introduction briefly describes the basis for the constitutional challenge to the current funding system. The next section describes…

This conference report contains 29 papers dealing with trends in financing public education. The papers are grouped by major subject into (1) the economic, social, and political issues in education and school support, (2) the foundation plan of school support, (3) the development of measures of State and local government ability to support…