The New York State Board of Regents' 2004-05 State Aid Proposal put forward the idea of instituting Foundation Aid as a response to concerns about the sufficiency of state education funding then being provided to local school districts. In 2007, prompted by legal action, a call for reform by the Regents, and the election of a new governor with a…

The partial financing of New York State's public schools with a state-mandated tax coupled with state aid based upon county or regional wealth rather than local district wealth would provide greater equalization of both revenues and expenditures of school districts than does the present law. A comparable increase in state aid appropriations under…

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 paper describes the current and proposed systems for state and local financing of public education in Illinois and discusses the ramifications for local educational planners of a change from a foundation level program to a resource cost model approach. The paper begins with a brief historical overview of the finance reform effort that began…

The Texas Foundation School Program, popularly known as the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP), is a very complex approach to school finance. It provides basic assistance in three areas--minimum salaries, operating allowances, and transportation--and additional assistance in two others--vocational education and special education. The state pays…

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)

This article presents a case study of the school finance controversy in Texas with special emphasis on the results of two school finance bills enacted in successive sessions of the legislature. (Author/IRT)

Describes major provisions of a $1.4 billion school finance plan proposed by the Texas State Teachers Association, and compares this plan to the finance reform plans proposed by Texas Governor Briscoe and a Texas legislative committee. Available from: Salary and Merit, Suite 908, 1835 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006; $2.50 single copy. (JG)

Currently, state aid for education in New York State is distributed through over 50 separate and unnecessarily complex formulas and grants-in-aid. The approach recommended in this proposal consolidates 39 of these current categories into a single foundation allocation, while increasing the percentage of the state share and providing districts with…

State aid programs for local schools have not kept pace with New York State's ambitious, revamped Regents examination program. This paper explains a method for developing a comprehensive education cost index and shows how to incorporate it into a performance-based foundation aid system. (Contains 36 references.) (MLH)

Florida's new school finance formula is characterized by a three mills power equalization scheme on top of a Strayer-Haig foundation plan. Finance legislation is predicated on the intent to equalize educational opportunity while increasing the authority and responsibility of districts for deciding matters of instructional organization and method.…

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…

The inclusion of a geographical isolation factor in a state's distribution formula for foundation aid is a mechanism for providing additional revenue to small schools or school districts that, because of geographical location, cannot be consolidated into more efficient units. This paper presents a model geographical isolation factor that could be…

This handbook is designed to assist school board members and school administrators in dealing with school management issues and problems. The first chapter provides a historical review of public school finance. The next three chapters deal with the source of public education funding, the general nature of local taxing authority, and the manner in…

Available from: C. Elton Hinshaw, Secretary, 1313 21st Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37212. (JG)