When pension benefits are not directly tied to contributions, some individuals may earn disproportionate returns on their retirement contributions. For instance, individuals who receive relatively larger late-career raises will receive disproportionately greater returns. For teachers, whose salaries are determined by salary schedules set by…

This paper uses data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to study various input data and their effect on student outcomes. The data pulled were related to school district, local, and personal wealth; student demographics; classrooms and classroom teachers. A multi-factor regression was then completed to assess which…

The Missouri Health and Educational Facilities Authority has been legislatively directed to assist the state's school districts in the issuance of general obligation bonds and to develop guidelines for two voluntary methods relating to the issuance of these bonds. The program offered provides credit enhancement and helps achieve the lowest…

Small rural school districts in Missouri with low pupil/teacher ratios generate a small amount of revenue per teacher, pay low teacher salaries, and draw a large amount of salary supplement money per teacher. Suggests that districts reorganize into larger units, thereby increasing teacher pay and reducing the need for teacher salary supplement…

This paper compares school district characteristics for rural Missouri K-8 and K-12 districts in four categories of enrollment size. A random sample of 56 K-8 and 56 K-12 districts yielded 4 equal categories of K-8 enrollment: 51-100, 101-150, 151-200, and more than 200 students. Data are presented in graphic form for assessed valuation per pupil;…