Previous research showed that the Great Recession of 2007-2008 had negative effects on student test scores. These declines were linked, in part, to the negative effects of states' educational budget cuts or less spending per student. Using individual student test scores, this paper examines whether the level of school quality (as measured by…

We estimate the impact of school finance reform on adequate and equitable district spending, school resources and student achievement in Pennsylvania. From the 2008-09 to the 2010-11 school years, amid the Great Recession, Pennsylvania's "Act 61" increased aid to school districts spending below state-determined adequacy targets…

From 2009 to 2014, school districts in Oklahoma faced the challenge of educating a growing population of students to high academic standards and increased accountability while total state aid had been restricted to flat or negative levels annually. This study presents new knowledge about how district spending of increasingly scarce dollars relates…

In 2016, a group of school finance scholars and public school practitioners gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, for the National Education Finance Academy's annual conference to discuss, among an array of topics, the state of P-20 finance in all 50 states. At the roundtable discussion, 36 states were represented, and scholars representing 30 states…

Since the implementation of IDEA in 1975, as spending on education has continued to grow, a large portion of that spending has been dedicated to students with special needs. This study uses a panel dataset of local and intermediate school districts to examine the complex special education funding and delivery scheme in the State of Michigan. Using…

This research briefly summarizes a series of Ohio Supreme Court litigation known as "DeRolph v. State" and then measures the equality of expenditures among Ohio school districts. "DeRolph v. State" was a high-profile school finance adequacy case. Nevertheless, the high court continuously expressed concern for the financial…

The goal of this study is to simultaneously explore resource allocation across schools within large urban school districts and across all schools within major metropolitan areas that include those urban districts in the state of Texas. This study uses a three-year panel, from 2005 to 2007, for Texas elementary schools in the Houston, Dallas,…

Public school funding in Massachusetts is based on foundation budget principles. However, funding formula modifications often create disparities between district foundation budgets and actual required spending levels. This study provides an in-depth look at Massachusetts' state aid formulas used between 2004 and 2009 and utilizes two approaches to…

This study was designed to explore fiscal interrelationships that underlay capital outlay funding, including the differences between rural and non-rural school districts. The study additionally focused on the relationships between various capital outlay funding components (capital outlay expenditures per pupil, net assessed valuation per pupil,…

Analyzes measure of professional development expenditures by U.S. school districts using three panels of data from the Census Bureau. Finds that districts devote approximately 3 percent of total general expenditures to professional development, which equates to approximately 200 dollars per pupil. Findings reflect a fairly flat trend in new…

Models three-stage bond-rating process: whether to have a bond rated, whether to insure the bond, and estimation of the actual bond rating; tests multistage model empirically using sample of 148 bond issues representing 10 different states; finds that the par value (size) of the bond issue is decisive factor in decision to have a bond rated or…

Identifies three alternative methods for financing school district operations under property taxation, then examines, evaluates, and ranks the three alternatives according to their effectiveness in optimizing the benefits received by the general public. (JG)

Analyzes the impact of Performance Driven Budgeting (PDB), a school-based budgeting initiative, on student test scores in the fourth and fifth grades and on spending patterns in selected New York City schools. Finds that PDB has a positive effect on some student test scores and leads to a change in the mix of spending, but not its level. (Contains…

Describes New York State's experience with school district tax limits in urban districts serving less than 125,000. Originally designed to protect taxpayers, these tax limits have spawned a costly state aid system that raises serious equity issues. Recent legislation removed tax limits and made state aid more equitable. (32 references) (MLH)

Discusses problems in establishing teacher cost indices on which to base adjustments in state educational aid. Presents 1973-1980 data on differentials in teacher salaries and revenue potentials among Florida school districts to show that salary differences between districts can change rapidly. (RW)