Voters in Marin County have long been willing to pass parcel taxes to fund their schools. In 2016, taxes faced unprecedented opposition from local activists; taxes in Kentfield and Mill Valley were defeated or passed by previously unheard-of narrow margins, respectively. What changed? This case study uses district financial and demographic data as…

West Virginia Governor Arch Moore discusses past and present changes in the Appalachian Region and in West Virginia spurred by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Changes in West Virginia's tax structure, job creation, economic diversification, and public energy facilities are noted as efforts to prepare for the future. (NEC)

To address the growing demand for high-quality child care, many communities are seeking to develop specialized child care facilities funds to build new, and improve the quality of existing, child care programs. This toolkit is designed for policymakers, nonprofit leaders, child care providers, and others interested in increasing access to…

Appropriate for secondary school social studies or community programs, this publication considers the issue of taxation in America. The first of five sections, "Taxing Matters," considers the growing perception that the present tax code is unfair and in need of drastic reform. Alternative solutions to the problem are considered. "The Loophole…

While tax reforms proposed by Bradley-Gephart, Kemp-Kasten, and the Reagan Administration differ in specifics, all three would reduce marginal tax rates and broaden the income tax base by eliminating many of the special provisions that have crept into the system over the years--agriculture benefits from a variety of these special provisions. This…

Reform efforts involving school finance have focused on the state's role in equalizing expenditures across all districts within a state. Despite these efforts, little attention has been given to differing expenditures among school within districts. In analyzing differences in spending across schools and students in Cincinnati, Seattle, and…

Diverse economic, social, and legal concerns have brought renewed attention to the problem of financing public schools. The primary economic concern is preparing students to compete successfully in the international marketplace. The change in demographics of the United States also is a major social concern for education. Legal concerns focus on…

Simulation of changes through 1988-89 in the distribution of general school aid (GSA) in Illinois demonstrated implications of a dual state economy for educational finance. Agricultural and heavy manufacturing areas were found to have suffered loss of tax revenue while service and light industry areas experienced increased revenue. Downstate…