Examines issues of how school districts finance facility needs. Reviews numerous recent legal decisions addressing capital outlay; discusses implications for educational policymakers. Concludes that court proceedings and research literature suggest an important association between wealth dependency and unmet needs in funding school district…

The effect of the School District Equalization Act (SDEA) on school financing in Kansas is analyzed in this report. Included is a discussion of the context of the present legal action, a description of the present statutory scheme and evaluation framework, a longitudinal statistical assessment of the SDEA in relation to the entire state and…

Over the past 30 years, federal and state courts have addressed numerous education finance equity issues, particularly the inadequacies of state aid funding formulas. This article discusses government responsibility, judicial intervention cases, pending litigation in various states, and future directions for educational finance litigation and…

Analyzes Kansas statewide data on school building condition, capital outlay funding, and other fiscal aspects. Finds 32 variables that contribute to school districts' ability to sustain effective capital outlay programs. Concludes that district wealth significantly affects building condition and capital project planning, and suggests special…

Examines the court struggle for fiscal adequacy and equity as it is being applied to rural schools and suggests that there are serious implications for financing education in an environment which promises continued complexity and change. The outcome of these struggles is critically important to stakeholders in rural education. (Author/KS)

Rural and urban education constituencies are increasingly competing for scarce government resources. This article examines the root of the struggle (the basic value of an education), defines ensuing court struggles for resource adequacy and equity, explores urban/rural partisanship, and denotes future implications for financing education in a…

Eight critical issues relevant to Kansas school finance are discussed in this report; issues include recent school finance litigation, assessment of the School District Equalization Act (SDEA), recommendations for improving the SDEA, validity of the power equalization models, measures of local district funding ability, mechanisms used by other…

Traditionally, local school districts have shouldered the burden of funding school infrastructure in the name of local control, relying upon local property tax revenues and the willingness of local voters to approve bond issues. Given vast disparities in school districts' property wealth, gross inequities in school facilities will remain without…

The rationales for various state-finance distribution formulas, from 1896 to the present, are explained along with the rationales of the lawsuits questioning their validity. Chapter 1 describes attempts at financial equity from 1896 to the 1950s. Chapter 2 examines the current status of financing public education, emphasizing a state's obligation…

This monograph addresses the issues surrounding financing school buildings. Kansas finances school buildings from the property tax base of the school district in which the building is located. Local districts face fiscal constraints in maintaining and building facilities. The backlog of maintenance in Kansas exceeds $380 million. Research in…

Examines federal and state court decisions in school finance litigation involving the argument that education is a fundamental right with equal opportunity and equal protection. Outlines legal strategy for educational reform by arguing that surrogates for these concepts are state education laws requiring uniform, common or thorough, and efficient…

The question of legal responsibility for state participation in school building costs has never been completely answered. Reviews court decisions and offers recommendations to those involved in educational facilities. (MLF)

Updated information is provided in this addendum to an original report that assessed the equity of the Kansas School District Equalization Act (SDEA) from 1973 to 1988. This consultants' analysis on behalf of Turner School District in "Mock v. State of Kansas" consists of five parts. Following an introduction, section 2 reviews the…

An analysis of the effect of the Kansas School District Equalization Act (SDEA) of 1973 on public school financing is provided in this consultants' report on behalf of six plaintiff school districts in "Newton United School District 373 et al., v. the State of Kansas." Following an introduction, the second section sets forth the initial…

This book offers an overview of educational finance law and examines constitutional challenges to state aid plans. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to education finance litigation, including the early history of education finance litigation and early education finance theory. Chapter 2 discusses the states' responsibilities for providing equal…