Bright Futures is a Florida-state-funded scholarship program that pays either 75% or 100%, depending on the scholarship level, for up to 132 credits hours in a 120-credit-hour program. Prepaid plans are purchased for a student prior to their attending college, and usually when the future college student is a young child. The plans guarantee the…

State assumption of all responsibility for financing education would enhance equalization of educational opportunity, fix accountability for educational finance with the governor and the State legislature, accelerate measurement of student achievement, eliminate burdensome property taxes, and undercut the fiscal logic that now supports…

Investigates the effects of including an income factor in a power equalization aid formula. Some evidence indicates that a power equalization formula with recapture and with an income adjustment may substantially achieve the objective of making education expenditures independent of the wealth of the local district. (Author/IRT)

The school finance equity efforts that began in Illinois in the early 1970s collapsed during the early 1980s, partially as a result of poor economic conditions affecting the entire state budget. This monograph opens with a review of the school finance reform events that have unfolded in Illinois since 1973, when major reforms were first enacted…

This report briefly summarizes the background, the criteria and procedures for evaluation, the findings, and the recommendations of the Tennessee School Finance Equity Study that, during the two year period ending in November, 1979, examined Tennessee's present program for financing the public schools, kindergarten through grade 12. The purpose of…

This document is designed to review the general provisions of various sources of student financial aid (federal, state, and private) and, to explain the operating procedures of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program. This document is essential, since the Basic Grant Program is based on the concept of entitlement. It is necessary that all…

Discusses the implications for state funding of education behind the recent California case, Serrano vs Priest. (JF)

Systematically analyzes the relationships between the goals and the tools of educational finance plans. Argues that an improved understanding of policies that affect school finance equity can be obtained by viewing equity in terms of a conceptual framework and by describing school finance plans in terms of their structural elements. (Author/IRT)

Finance reform in education is discussed with emphasis on state, local, and federal funding and court litigation. The focus is on equal education for poor communities. (DS)

The increasing tendency in North Carolina to support school expenditures from local revenues may be leading to greater disparities in financing from one school district to another. (Author/IRT)

The system used in Illinois for financing public education underwent major reform in 1973. At that time four alternative formulas for determining equalization aid levels were established. In 1980 three of these formulas were eliminated and only a modified version of the Resource Equalizer formula remains in use. This report provides an overview of…

Discusses Minnesota's recent tax reform legislation which provides for increased state financing of education. (JF)

This description of the Tennessee equalization plan consists of (1) a description of Tennessee's current public school finance program; (2) recommendations for change in the existing program; (3) a description of the conformance of the recommended changes to the equity guidelines developed by the United States Commissioner of Education pursuant to…

This discussion begins with the five major political values that were reflected in the 1973 reform of the Illinois school aid system. The lawmakers wanted to spend state dollars for education in a way that would improve student and taxpayer equity, maintain local control of school districts, aid poverty-impacted districts, not discriminate against…

Analyzes the South Dakota system of financing education in light of major cases considering the constitutionality of state finance systems and of the approaches courts have used in determining constitutionality. Examines the particular finance problems that face the school systems of South Dakota. Available from University of South Dakota School…