This paper examines the financial transparency and accountability practices before and after the 2023 state takeover of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Superintendent Mike Miles and his Board of Managers reallocated critical district resources towards troubling new "priorities," while the district was facing a sizable…

This case provides a summary of a situation in which a newly appointed superintendent and his new chief financial officer of a midsized urban school district uncover a massive set of fiscal problems which had been previously hidden from the Board and most other stakeholders. How do the district's top leaders make decisions about how to address the…

The size of the nation's debt has important implications for children and families and for programs that serve them. Even so, children received relatively little attention during the recently concluded presidential campaign. This fall, Child Trends devoted its 2012 Kristin Anderson Moore Lecture to the implications of the debt for children to…

Educational Leadership talks with four experts in the fields of education policy and finance about how schools can weather the current financial crisis. Michael A. Rebell focuses on the recession and students' rights; Allan Odden suggests five steps schools can take to improve in tough times; Anthony Rolle describes the tension between equity and…

Many people view the coming of January 1 each year as an opportunity for a new beginning. The conditions that are facing school and university administrators and educators make it difficult to approach the coming year with optimism. The effects of the recession that crippled state and local budgets have yet to ease, and schools and universities…

The tuition increase at the University of Florida--one of 11 public universities in Florida to win the approval of the state's Board of Governors to tack a "tuition differential" of 7 percent onto an 8 percent increase already approved by the state legislature--comes in response to an unprecedented reduction of some $340 million in state…

Enrollments are up across the board--a good sign for any college, particularly one that's only recently opened its doors--but enthusiasm is tempered by the reality of an impending budget crisis. Like most colleges, the situation is compounded by political pressure to increase the nation's graduation rate. Not that graduating students hasn't always…

The focus of the study was to examine the impact of the recession on (1) community college funding, (2) community college student support services, and (3) on student enrollment. This study relied on data from document analysis and interview of community college personnel and students. The current crisis has resulted in a steep budget reduction to…

Key legislative objectives for the US Federal educational policy over the past several decades relied heavily on quasi-market strategies (such as school rating, school closure, the contracting out of schools) as central levers in "reforming" public schools. Using financial data on 11 national for-profit firms contracting with schools and…

This paper examines the impact on higher education of funding shortfalls that are due to significant reductions of college budgets by state legislatures and that result in trimming of services and laying off of employees. First, an overview of national trends and statistics describes retrenchment as a key institutional response. A look at some…

Periodicals editors at higher education institutions constantly confront financial pressure. Some strategies used to pair expenses or raise revenue include consolidating two or more periodicals, pruning mailing lists, trimming printing and postage costs, selling advertising, and pursuing voluntary subscription programs. (MLW)

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated educational change within two innovative schools experiencing financial crisis. Data were derived from interviews with 14 educators (principals and teachers) and from observations of school board meetings. The two schools were: (1) the Team Academy, a nongraded K-6 school; and (2) the…

In an effort to determine the extent to which Arkansas community and technical colleges have been affected by budgetary restraints, changing enrollments, unstable state support, and other problematic factors during academic years 1989-90 through 1991-92, a survey was administered to all 9 community colleges and 10 technical colleges. Survey…

This collection of five essays on public higher education in New York State treats challenges and conditions for public institutions during the current and continuing conditions of financial austerity. The first, "Productivity and Cost Containment: The Challenge of Public Sector Budgeting" looks at financial management and budgeting as…

The "funding gap" in public higher education in California represents the difference between state appropriations and the amount needed to fully support each segment's educational mission. This report identifies and defines the funding gap for the California Community Colleges (CCC); measures the consequences of this gap on program…