This research brief is the fourth of a series of four that list and index items by subject and State. Over 4,000 legislative items are listed. No legislation that was vetoed or that failed, nor any carryover legislation, is listed in this current series. (Author/JF)

In November 1978, Idaho voters approved an initiative that limited property taxes to 1 percent of a property's 1978 market value and that limited the property's growth in market value to 2 percent per year. Due to the initiative's imprecise wording and incompatibility with Idaho statutes, the 1979 Idaho Legislature passed two bills designed to…

In June 1978, California voters approved Proposition 13, limiting property taxes to 1 percent of a property's market value and limiting the property's growth in market value to 2 percent per year. The immediate effect of the limitations was to reduce property tax revenues by $7 billion, of which $3.1 billion would have gone to the schools. The…

Proposes that the courts order school authorities to cut programs as necessary to fund desegregation rather than order a tax that has been prohibited in the state or locale. Available from Michigan Law Review, Hutchins Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. (Author/IRT)

This article examines the trend toward tax reduction in many states and discusses the possible effects on educational finance. (MC)

Between 1954 and 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved over 30 school-segregation cases. During the 1980s, however, the Court placed desegregation on the back burner. Although a 1990 decision upheld desegregation tax increases for Kansas City, Missouri, schools, desegregation lost out in three subsequent cases. (Contains 24 references.) (MLH)

The past year witnessed cases involving the constitutionality of tax credits and tax deductions for expenses incurred by parents whose children attend nonpublic schools. The constitutionality of state school finance programs continued to be questioned, and several cases involving funds for the education of handicapped children also were decided.…

Examines voter response to bond issues immediately following Michigan's elimination of its property tax school-funding system. Reviews equity measures, discusses court cases addressing school-facility equity issues, and compares other states' funding approaches. Michigan's system for financing school facilities remains inequitable, and facility…

This booklet discusses past and anticipated legislative activities in school finance, court actions, and research issues. It is divided into three major sections. The first covers the major school finance events of 1976 for selected states, the anticipated major events of 1977, and court actions. The second section covers the dominant issues that…

Schools in North Carolina are governed by numerous laws pertaining to construction and repair. A selection of these laws is presented. Financial concerns constitute the bulk of these statutes, covering areas such as bids (financial outlay, advertisement, rejecting bids, and withdrawing bids); sources of state funds; the selling or buying of school…

The "municipal overburden" argument alleges that cities lack adequate funding for their schools because they are unable to levy high enough tax rates. Examines support for the hypothesis held by jurists and legal commentators and then inquires why economists commonly find that position unacceptable. (MLF)

With reference to current fiscal distress in California, sources of school district revenue are described, potential local revenue sources identified, and equity issues involved in increased local funding noted. (MJL)

Describes a lawsuit filed in January 1982 by New Hampshire students, parents, and school districts charging that the state's elementary and secondary education system's heavy reliance on local property taxes violates the state constitution by creating substantial inequities in the funds available per pupil in each district. (Author/RW)

This paper analyzes Texas Senate Bill 351 that reforms public school funding. The bill provides for additional state funding and significant increases in local property taxes. The bill creates county education taxing units to neutralize the enormous property wealth differences found among the state's 1,056 school districts. It also provides a…

This chapter deals with 1981 cases involving the financial support of schools. According to the author, challenges to the constitutionality of state supported programs continued, as did litigation dealing with the funding of programs for children with special needs and with the requirements and enforcement of federal regulations. An increase in…