The growth of homeschooling from a somewhat fringe movement during the 1970s and 1980s to a more widespread and socially accepted approach in recent decades has provided a strong foundation of flexible learning models. When Florida's school choice expansion, House Bill 1, was introduced in January 2023, one of its goals was to allow more…

Targeted school funding is a potentially valuable policy lever to increase educational equality by race, ethnicity, and income, but it remains unclear how to target funds most effectively. We use a regression discontinuity approach to compare districts that narrowly passed or failed a school funding election. We use close tax elections in 9 states…

Financial challenges are a major concern for school leaders, a concern that was particularly pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased academic expectations, insufficient funding, and rising mandated expenses in the face of declining enrollment constrain budgets and put pressure on student programming. In this environment, collaboration…

Greater accountability in public higher education systems is a fact of life in the current political climate. Increasingly, one form this accountability takes is performance funding, which arises from elected officials' need for assurance that taxpayer funds are not only being invested and used properly but are resulting in desired outcomes at…

In a time when districts are scraping for every penny, it seems almost unthinkable that they would let E-Rate funds get away. But the truth is, a lot of money is being left behind. In fact, districts' use of awarded E-rate funds declined from 80 percent in 2000 to 55 percent in 2004, according to E-Rate consulting firm Funds for Learning. Wise…

This study determined the number of Pennsylvania school districts that invest surplus funds and the rate of return on these investments. Also examined was the relationship among the amount of money earned from investments and the assessed value of the district, the aid ratio, the income from real estate, and the beginning and ending balance to…

The purpose of an unreserved fund balance is to provide funds for expenditures not included in a district's budget or to make up for revenues anticipated but not received. A model developed to determine the appropriate size of the unreserved fund balance for school districts was tested with simulations in 498 Pennsylvania school districts. (MLF)

Funds for vocational education, especially federal funds, have increased greatly during the past decade and more may be expected, but vocational educators lack training in writing the proposals required to obtain these funds. To help develop the knowledge and skills needed to prepare effective proposals, a workshop for vocational administrators…

The Pennsylvania legislature is considering a school finance proposal, exemplified by House Bill 113 of the 2003 legislative session, that would shift some school funding away from local property taxes and toward state funds and local income taxes. The proposal would give greater proportional benefits to homeowners with lower property values. A…

Develops a model of teacher salaries and teacher supply and demand, including production functions, occupational choice, budget constraints, and district income and tax rates, as an aid in analyzing educational finance reforms. Tests the model on Pennsylvania school district data, using three different assumptions about labor market competition…

This book is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource on all aspects of school finance for Pennsylvania educators. Chapter 1 provides a historical overview of Pennsylvania school finance. The next three chapters examine the local, state, and federal sources of revenue. The fifth chapter explains the components of Pennsylvania's mandatory…

To identify 5-year trends in revenues and expenditures for Pennsylvania's 500 school districts and to show how fiscal trends interact with changes in variables such as student enrollment, statewide school financial data from 1984-85 through 1988-89 are analyzed. The figures indicated that financial trends include increases in total district…

Collected in this guide are 84 cost saving measures submitted by Pennsylvania school districts. Information on each practice includes a description, background, effectiveness, cost requirements, adaptability, and contact for further details. Facilities practices include energy management and conservation measures. Materials/equipment practices…

Financial statistics for Pennsylvania colleges and universities for the fiscal year (FY) ending 1981, for 1971-1972 through 1980-1981, and for 1977-1978 through 1980-1981 are presented, along with narrative descriptions of financial trends at the institutions. Information includes the following: current-funds revenues by institutional control;…

THIS REPORT FURNISHES AN ACCOUNT OF THE POLICIES OF THE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON RACIAL INTEGRATION AND EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY. PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES, AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE ARE DETAILED, AND SPECIAL PROBLEM AREAS ARE IDENTIFIED. COMPENSATORY EDUCATION, EVEN IF IT IMPLIES DELAYED INTEGRATION IN SOME INSTANCES, IS SEEN AS THE…