This booklet discusses current and past studies of Louisiana parish assessment ratios that reveal substantial inequity in administration of the property tax. Studies reveal inequities exist between parishes, and within and between classes of people; and the report discusses the effects of these inequities. Some recommendations to resolve these…

Describes the financial plight of the Toledo schools, which have closed twice in two years, and the factors that contribute to that plight. (IRT)

This report describes tax revenues in fiscal year 1967 and tax legislation enacted during the calendar year 1967, for all 50 States. The amount and percent of the total for major sources of tax revenue during fiscal 1967 are listed by State as are the amount per capita and percent change in the States' total tax revenues from 1966 to 1967. Major…

This report describes tax revenues in fiscal year 1968 and tax legislation enacted during the calendar year 1968, for all 50 States. The amount and percent of the total for major sources of tax revenue during fiscal 1968 are listed by State as are the amount per capita and percent change in the States' total tax revenues from 1967 to 1968. Major…

This report points out inequities in the taxing methods of many States and of State subdivisions and suggests possible remedies. Special emphasis is placed on assessments against real property and the impact of these assessments on tax revenues. The report concludes that (1) school revenue systems have suffered because of inadequate laws that have…

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…

There is a growing sense that education policymakers need to become more sensitive to the inequities and inefficiencies associated with the generation of local resources for education, particularly the property tax. The purpose of this book is to provide insight into issues surrounding the generation of local revenues for public education in…

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…

Recent court decisions requiring changes in State educational finance systems have not invalidated the use of local property taxes as a revenue source for education, nor have they dictated that the same amount of dollars must be spent on every pupil. In short, these decisions have left with the State legislatures the responsibility to fashion new…

This report provides a general overview of those State constitutional provisions and some of the related statutes and case law that must be considered in designing school finance legislation and in understanding the issues being raised in school finance litigation in State courts throughout the country. While the publication was designed primarily…

Formed by the Connecticut legislature to monitor the state's educational aid plan, the Educational Equity Study Committee in this report joins with the state Board of Education in recommending amendments to Connecticut's 1979 school finance reform law, involving changes in the state's Minimum Expenditure Requirement (MER) plan and Guaranteed Tax…

This publication is an update and expansion of earlier studies on the legal organization and administration of school districts in South Carolina. The treatment of this topic progresses from the general to the specific and includes detailed data about the geographical, organizational, financial, and legal aspects of the topic. The report attempts…

This report is designed to familiarize the reader with current changes in State systems of public school finance. It describes in summary form the major school finance changes made in 1973 by Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin. State legislative sessions in these States produced…

This booklet contains a brief analysis of four "real life" alternatives (Minnesota, Michigan, Kansas, and New York) for State systems of funding schools, along with a concise conceptual framework for approaching the study of school finance reform. Because the booklet was prepared as a practical guide for State legislators, the authors avoid highly…

The format of this monograph follows essentially the arrangement of the day-long conference on Serrano vs. Priest: a major paper presentation, followed by a panel of three respondents, and subsequent general discussion involving the audience and conference participants. The editors have attempted to provide both the formal and the extemporaneous…