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…

Cites lack of effective programs in reading readiness and decline of teacher-parent relationship as two major reasons for the discontent that has caused communities to reject bond issues, and outlines some steps that could be taken by administrators and teachers to help regain the public's sagging confidence. (Author/EA)

Several state courts have ruled that public money may be used to inform the voters about a school bond referendum and the project to be financed with bond proceeds, but may not be used to promote passage of the referendum. (MLF)

This report represents data collected by a mail survey comparing budgets, levies, and enrollments of small, rural schools (Class "C") in Montana for fiscal year 1991-1992. The average enrollment of 82 elementary schools was 128 students; the average enrollment of 82 high schools was 58. The average total enrollment of Class "C"…

Using a questionnaire survey and census data, the author sought to determine the effect of administrator effort and other selected administrative, fiscal, and socioeconomic variables on the results of Illinois school district tax elections. All educational tax referenda in the state's unit and elementary school districts in the years 1975-78 were…

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…

BASED ON A NATIONAL RANDOM PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF 180 SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH 150 OR MORE PUPILS, DRAWN BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, FOUR CRITERION VARIABLES WERE DEFINED AS INDICES OF SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS--(1) UNDERSTANDING, THE DEGREE TO WHICH INFORMED OBSERVERS SIMILARLY PERCEIVE SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, (2) QUIESCENCE, THE DEGREE TO…

This report provides data about the sale of bonds for financing the construction of public elementary and secondary school facilities during the fiscal year 1973. Data were compiled on the number of bond sales, the average net interest cost, the issuing agency, and the term of maturity. The report also provides summary information regarding bond…

Cleveland voters soundly rejected a levy intended to bolster the school district's finances, a move widely interpreted as a referendum on the performance of its leader, Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Two-thirds of the voters who turned out for the Aug. 2 special election cast their ballots against Issue 3, which would have raised more than $45 million to…

Underlying the very heated debate over California's education budget for 2005-2006--and the battle over Proposition 76 on the November ballot--were two very different perspectives on school funding. These fundamental differences in perspective can stymie efforts to effect meaningful change. However, the Governor's Advisory Committee on Education…

The school spending model described in this report involves institutions and information based on the following reasoning. Where education spending must be approved by referenda, the school board seeks to obtain as large a budget as possible. Voters have to approve the budget proposal or accept the "reversion" level of spending--that…

This annual report summarizes, in tabular form, the major aspects of tax-based support of the public schools in New York State. Material is presented under eight chapter headings, as follows: 1) Perspectives in financing public school expenditures during the period 1968-78, 2) State support of education in New York State, 3) budget defeats--1968,…

In this paper, the authors attempt to provide a basic outline of what is known about the determinants of success or failure in school financial elections. The research, conducted since 1960, comes from several academic disciplines, employs a wide variety of techniques and methods, and is geographically representative of the United States.…