Voters in Marin County have long been willing to pass parcel taxes to fund their schools. In 2016, taxes faced unprecedented opposition from local activists; taxes in Kentfield and Mill Valley were defeated or passed by previously unheard-of narrow margins, respectively. What changed? This case study uses district financial and demographic data as…

Economic news today is filled with discussion about whether the United States has entered a recession. For the author and other presidents of public colleges and universities, whether the downturn can be labeled a recession is far less important than dealing with the effects of economic conditions on institutions. During hard times, both public…

As states confront budget shortfalls, investment in mental health services faces the chopping block. Almost every state has instituted cost containment strategies in its Medicaid programs and state policymakers have begun to cut services for people with mental health treatment needs. The first part of this report presents research on state cuts to…

Three metropolitan and five rural counties in Washington State were studied to determine relationships between budget change decisions--particularly expenditure decreases--and public service consequences. Demographic, economic, social, and budget data for 1979-1982 from census sources, state and county agency reports, and 214 questionnaire…

This book presents essays inspired by an October, 1988, conference on recent changes in the relationship between public policy and higher education. The essays appear in five sections, the first of which, titled "Looking Backward: The Historical Context of Public Policy and Higher Education," serves as a retrospective and prospective examination…

This report presents the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) analysis of the status of federal support for education of children with disabilities and/or giftedness, focusing on fiscal year (FY) 1996 appropriations and FY 1997 budget processes. Preliminary information includes a budget overview; a chart comparing appropriations,…