After being sued for inequity and inadequacy in school funding, many states in the US have reformed their education aid formulas but have still faced many criticisms. Using Connecticut as an example, this paper shows how to design a more equitable and adequate aid formula with tools to win broad support from communities and lawmakers. It develops…

This report presents articles that explore the changing role of the states in addressing the nation's need to build and modernize its public schools. The article, "Doling Out Facilities Aid Proves Tricky," explains how some states have learned that securing funds is only one part of helping districts pay for construction. "Some States Help Charter…

In order to determine similarities and differences in funding programs for rural United States schools, data published in the ERIC/CRESS publication entitled "Special Funding for Small and/or Isolated Rural Schools" was analyzed. Twenty-five of the 49 states for which data were collected have no special funding provisions for small…

On average, local governments in nonmetropolitan counties spent about 10% less per pupil on primary and secondary education than local governments in metro counties in 1982. However, national averages obscure a huge variation in education spending among nonmetro counties. Per pupil spending was about 47% higher than the national average in totally…

The central purpose of this study was to identify effective state strategies for school improvement and the conditions that facilitate these strategies within states and districts. Researchers conducted case studies in 10 states that currently have a state-sponsored school improvement plan: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,…

Interest in general school finance reform escalated in the 1970s, with many court decisions ruling state educational finance systems unconstitutional because of extreme variations in local wealth. Many state systems of educational financing were realigned. While the remedies utilized generally served to placate reformers, a resurgence of…

The United States ranks first in the world among major industrialized nations in school costs and ranks nearly last in student achievement. Three massive changes in state educational policies during the last half century may account for this low educational productivity. From 1940 to 1990: (1) the number of U.S. school districts decreased 87…

This monograph offers an overview of historical trends in the funding of special education programs, examines current issues, and considers directions for the future. After an introductory section, a section on historical perspectives notes trends in federal and state funding since 1975. A table shows the current funding formulas used by each…

Critical issues concerning the state takeover of local school districts are outlined in this paper. Three major topics are addressed: situational factors leading to intervention; the legitimacy of state power; and appropriate beneficial conditions of state takeover. The most frequent reasons for state intervention involve concerns about equity,…

Addition of fiscal response factors to the traditional simulation model of school finance demonstrates that the traditional model underestimates both the costs and impacts of state aid programs at the district level. The study reviews research on fiscal response--defined as school districts' taxing and spending behavior after receipt of state…

Capital outlay for school facilities is receiving interest as focus is turned toward all facets of education, including the condition of the physical learning environment. Recent court decisions have brought about some equity in school financing, but the potential exists for future lawsuits for equity in educational facilities. There is a concern…

The major purpose of this discussion is to project future consequences of public education resulting from the current wave of taxpayer revolts. More specifically, a scenario for the 1980s is described that includes eight specific trends that will gain impetus from the Proposition 13 syndrome. (Author)

Discusses Missouri v. Jenkins and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that the state of Missouri had no obligation to endlessly fund remedies to correct specific past school discriminations. An appendix discusses educational remedies for school segregation and what social science research says about their development and effectiveness. (GR)

Using examples from California, the author analyzes the increasing trend for states to assume a guiding or dominant role over local school districts in important aspects of American education. He considers the main reasons for this trend to be public concern over academic standards and the increasing cost of education. (Editor/SJL)

Achieving a state education finance program that is fair to students, taxpayers, teachers, and school districts is complicated by varying student needs and different property tax rates and school expenses among districts. Attempts at equitable allocation of state aid funds and other educational resources should be guided by the principles of…