The 2022 Legislature increased funding for specific types of school staff in the prototypical school funding model, which determines the state funding allocations for schools. The legislation also required that funding provided to schools for physical, social, and emotional support staff (PSES staff) be spent on those staff. This report includes…

Attracting, supporting, and retaining special education teachers of color (SETOCs) is critical in shaping a diverse special education teacher workforce in the United States. However, efforts to diversify this workforce are fraught with challenges at the federal, state, and local levels. This paper reviews what is currently known about efforts to…

The U.S. Department of Education has projected enrollment declines over the next decade, leading to budget cuts for school districts, which will be particularly impactful in urban and rural areas serving vulnerable students. As federal COVID-19 funds expire, districts will face challenges in cutting costs, potentially leading to layoffs or school…

Every year we invest billions in professional development to build teachers' capacity to better address the diverse academic needs of every student. Yet student learning continues to fall short of expectations in too many places. We must ask the question: Is there a better way to invest in the professional learning of teachers across America? Our…

Doing more with less is noble in public education. This is something quality public charter schools do well. It is also something, that cash-strapped rural and high need schools across Idaho know all too well themselves. It is well documented that all of public education in Idaho operates on leaner rations than do schools in most parts of the…

This report, the first in the series, points out that, while urban families increasingly have access to a variety of school options--including charter schools--many rural families have just a single school option. There are numerous examples of rural charter schools that have done great things for students while also benefiting the larger…

This research brief details some of the prominent ways that individuals, companies, and organizations secure financial gain and generate profit by controlling and running charter schools. To illustrate how charter school policy functions to promote privatization and profiteering, the authors explore differences between charter schools and…

In this paper, the 21st Century School Fund and the Center for Cities and Schools at the University of California Berkeley provide a conceptual frame for the joint use of PK-12 public school buildings. There is a growing conversation about and demand for joint use as a way to provide services to children and families in convenient locations,…

In November 1998, the Attorneys General of 46 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories signed an agreement with the five largest tobacco manufacturers, known as the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The MSA arose out of a number of separate state lawsuits against tobacco manufacturers seeking reimbursement for their Medicaid and…

This paper examines past school finance reforms of the 1970's, current reforms in the 1980's, and future reforms in the 1990's. Fiscal inequities targeted in the reforms of the seventies resulted in major structural changes in the school finance systems of over 30 states. The reforms not only improved fiscal equity but helped increase…

Because responsible stewardship of public funds is involved, school boards are obligated to establish sound criteria for purchasing essential goods and services. Supporting the local economy is appropriate when local businesses offer the most competitive prices. An inset describes a 1986 publication, "Education Inc.," that discusses schools'…

Investing school funds in repurchase agreements can be dangerous, since investment firms can fail, thereby causing schools to lose the money invested. Two methods of assuming control of repurchase agreements are described: a trust receipt and third party custody. The latter is more difficult, but more secure. (TE)

School districts often face unevenly timed state aid and property tax disbursements. As a result, they issue a large volume of short-term, tax-exempt cash-flow operating notes. Offers details about why school districts need to issue notes and discusses the increasing trend of pooled note issues. (MLF)

Although school funding structures are similar in many ways across the states, no two states have school finance systems that are precisely the same. School finance systems which are used to achieve multiple objectives, must consider characteristics of numerous school districts, distribute large amounts of money, and have developed incrementally…

For years people have assumed there is an unquestionable connection between school funding and student achievement. A study of Alabama students in grades 4 and 8 attempted to unearth the truth about the widely held assumption that the more money spent on a school the higher the student achievement will be. The study only examined funds that are…