Discusses the viability of participatory democracy and representative democracy for educational decision-making and argues that pure representative democracy would be preferable to the combination of participatory and representative democracy that now predominates. (Available from the Kansas Association of School Boards, 825 Western, Topeka, KS…

To convince voters to approve a school tax increase, school board members need to do the following: (1) show a fiscally tight and well-organized school district; (2) show the public that you care; (3) show a sense of personal and board conviction; (4) explain how decisions have been reached; and (5) educate the public about school issues. (MLF)

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BOARDS AND THEIR MEMBERS ARE INVESTIGATED, AND A DIFFERENTIATION IS MADE BETWEEN EFFECTIVE AND INEFFECTIVE BOARDS. TWENTY-SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, STRATIFIED BY REGION AND EFFECTIVENESS, WERE INCLUDED IN THE SAMPLE. INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRES WERE USED TO OBTAIN DATA FROM ALL CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS,…

Local teacher associations are urged to share this handbook with school administrators and citizens as the first step in a cooperative effort in school finance campaigns. Advice is given to administrators, teachers, and citizens on planning the campaign, the role of teachers and education associations, developing strategy, identifying the voters,…

A study tested the proposition that three factors influencing voter behavior in nonpartisan school budget elections are (1) fiscal decisions made by boards of education, (2) fiscal commitments that are uncontrollable by boards of education, and (3) expenditures made by other governmental units. The study concluded that (1) about one-half of the…

Cross-sectional analysis of 1971-1972 budget elections and expenditure data in 111 large K-12 school districts in Oregon indicates that the "agenda control" and "fiscal illusion" models predict expenditure levels better than the standard "median voter" model. The median voter model assumes that district expenditures…

This publication is an update and expansion of earlier studies on the legal organization and administration of school districts in South Carolina. The treatment of this topic progresses from the general to the specific and includes detailed data about the geographical, organizational, financial, and legal aspects of the topic. The report attempts…

This chapter reviews 1982 cases related to school property. Cases involving citizen efforts to overturn school board decisions to close schools dominate the property chapter, and courts continue to uphold school board authority to close schools, transfer students, and sell or lease the buildings. Ten cases involving detachment and attachment of…

This chapter deals with 1981 cases involving disputes over property. Cases involving the detachment and attachment of land continue to dominate the property chapter with 11 cases reported, the same number summarized in last year's chapter. One case involving school board referenda raised the interesting question of whether or not a state could…

Designed to serve as a handy and useful reference for everyone in the education community, this handbook offers an overview of what a school public relations program should do and a general guide to constructing a program that has a good chance to succeed. It is intended to make evident the great need for everyone connected with the school to…

In response to the public's demand for information, school boards are advised to develop a properly managed and executed public information and community relations program. Goals of such a public relations (PR) program are outlined as: honesty in the dissemination of information, an organization oriented toward community involvement, and…

This volume, a third edition updated and expanded from the two previous editions, is an introduction to the essentials of school law in New Jersey and a reference tool for readers experienced in educational law. Chapter 1 focuses on the legal structure of New Jersey public education, addressing such primary issues as the flow of authority to…