A spate of school shootings in the U.S. has prompted policymakers to address the public's growing perception that our schools are unsafe. As education policymakers continue to press for additional security initiatives, it is important to understand the costs borne by school systems for these programs. Thus far, the scholarly literature is silent…

Charters represent an expansion of public school choice, offering free, publicly funded educational alternatives to traditional public schools. One relatively unexplored research question concerning charter schools asks whether charter schools are more efficient suppliers of educational services than are traditional public schools. The potential…

This article discusses the impact of changing student demographics on financing education and on our national wellbeing. We begin by examining the research of current student demographics and their relationship to learning and education costs. We then calculate a 1% cost factor from the average per-pupil expenditure based on the 2011 "Digest…

The development of Texas' new cost-of-education index (CEI) for 1992-93 is described in this report. The two components of the index are price, which adjusts for regional price variations beyond the control of local districts, and scale, which adjusts for diseconomies of scale due to differences in district size as measured by pupil attendance.…

This publication discusses a cost analysis study of bilingual education in Texas that sought to determine the per-pupil costs of a minimally adequate program that would correspond to the regular monolingual program funded under the state's foundation finance program. The study identified the essential costs of a model bilingual education program…

Reviews literature on cost-of-living adjustments. Analyzes advantages and disadvantages of three alternative strategies for updating the Texas Cost-of-Education Index used in its school finance formula: A comparable-wage index, a cost-of-services index, and a cost-of-outcomes index. (Contains 38 references.) (PKP)

Updated information is provided on teacher salaries for 1995-96 and estimated increases for the 1996-97 school year in the 15 states belonging to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Pay raises for 1996-97 are estimated as ranging from 1.75 percent in Virginia to 6 percent in Georgia. Especially noted are South Carolina's continuing…

The goal of this study was to determine the level of educational expenditure necessary to make ample provision for the education of all students, providing all students with the skills to meet long-term academic standards, pursue additional learning beyond high school, and become productive citizens and contributing members of society. This study…

It is found that recent funding levels in Texas for faculty salaries and the purchase of books and other library materials have been drastically impaired by inflation. As a result, it is suggested that substantial increases in legislative appropriations will be required to prevent higher education from losing further ground. Faculty members have…

Three basic issues were examined in this study: (1) the variance in the purchasing power of the dollar among Texas school districts, (2) the variance in local property tax burden among Texas school districts, and (3) consideration of alternative Texas school finance formulas. Data used were from the data banks of the Texas Education Agency and…

A report of the Texas Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Compensation is presented, and recommendations of the Texas Coordinating Board, based on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee, are offered. Additionally, a companion document dated January 30, 1981, includes the text of presentations at an October hearing, an analysis of retirement and group insurance…