We study the progressivity of state funding of school districts under Tennessee's weighted student funding formula. We propose a simple definition of progressivity based on the difference in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district funding in Tennessee is much smaller--only…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between state education finance distribution models and student achievement. To date, lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state finance systems have been heard in 45 states; the judicial interpretation of the requirement to provide equality of educational opportunity has…

Michigan radically altered its school finance system in 1994. The new plan, called Proposal A, significantly increased state aid to the lowest-spending school districts and limited future increases in spending in the highest-spending ones, abolishing local discretion over school spending. I investigate the impact of Proposal A on the distribution…

Tax revenue flows to California's nearly 1,000 school districts through many different channels. According to the Governor's Committee on Education Excellence (2007), this system is so complex that the state cannot determine how revenues are distributed among school districts, and after reviewing a large number of academic studies in the Getting…

This report examines funding disparities between two seemingly similar schools in Virginia and North Carolina. It finds that the federal, state, and local policies designed to distribute education funds systematically provide more money to higher-income students and wealthier schools. (Contains 5 figures.) [This report was also produced by the…

While there is a wealth of research on school finance equity and adequacy, and school finance theory clearly documents differences between the two concepts, no study has examined whether the reforms engendered by each approach actually differ in terms of resource distribution. This study examines the issues using district level data on expenditure…

This paper, one of three related documents, examines the distributions of general revenues and instructional expenditures across school districts in Michigan. It discusses the equal yield formula for the funding of public schools and examines how the formula has accomplished its objectives. The data indicate success in reducing the effects of…

These two notes offer a couple of refinements to existing equalization plans--one deals with cost indexes, the other with fiscal incentive for dollar equalization. (Author/IRT)

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…

Through an examination of the economic and ethical implications of additional redistribution, the author shows that the massive redistribution currently taking place each year makes it very costly to attempt to move still further toward equality. (Author/AM)

This study examines the entitlement and payment arrangements set out in the maintenance and operations portion of the impact aid laws. Section 1 provides a brief background description of the program, including the changes made in the 1974 Amendments, a recent budget history, and a description of the program's beneficiaries. Section 2 contains an…

Demonstrates the mathematical equivalence of various school finance equalization formulas, describes the elements that complicate the preparation of a generalized simulation capability, and briefly presents a conceptualization of a generalized simulation model. (JG)

This study is an attempt to obtain a national assessment that could help inform federal policy. The study looks at all the states in order to obtain an assessment on a consistent basis, is based solely on results of reform--disparities in the distribution of education funds, and examines not only the state's status in a recent time period but also…

Based on a definition of equity that includes both equality in expenditure per pupil and fiscal neutrality, this paper examines equity in Illinois school finance and makes recommendations for its improvement. Following a brief introduction outlining deterioration of equity since 1977, part 2 describes further reasons for this deterioration. The…

Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) reduced and redistributed federal aid to education, moving funds from targeted areas of need to all areas regardless of need. States were unable to make up for significant losses in aid sustained by local districts. (TE)