While there is an extensive literature analyzing the relative equity of state funding systems for current operating revenues, there is a dearth of research on capital funding systems. This article presents an analysis of the school capital funding system in Kentucky since 1990, using the operating-revenue analysis concepts of horizontal equity,…

Analysis of changes in education funding across all 50 states during the 1980s shows that education revenues per pupil are neither increasing nor decreasing overall, but are staying constant after adjusting for enrollment increases and inflation. Demands for education improvement exceed the level of fiscal resources needed to make improvements.…

An overview of 1977 state reforms is presented here as well as current trends in litigation strategies, status of policy research on emerging issues, and prospects for 1978. The first section describes important finance reforms and modifications as well as recent court decisions in school finance and the changes that are emerging in school finance…

Introducing this paper is a discussion of the trend during the 1960s and 1970s toward greater state and federal involvement both in financing and in developing programs for special pupil populations. The authors then summarize, as of the 1980 fiscal year, the state and federal roles in programs for the handicapped and in bilingual and compensatory…

Investigates alternative measures of school district wealth, focusing on the issue of intergovernmental aid (particularly equalization aid), arguments for and against different wealth measures, jurisdictional implications of the use of alternative wealth measures in four states, and the effect of alternative wealth measures on state equalization…

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…

Notes that today school finance reform encompasses a broad range of issues, from extra needs of expensive items, difficulty to educate pupils, to equitable aid programs to restructuring of state and local tax systems. (Author/AM)

This paper presents strategies for designing and implementing new and more effective approaches to school-finance structures. The first section discusses state school-finance systems, their inadequacies, and how they have changed dramatically in several states. It explores how varieties of standard school-finance formulas may actually exacerbate…

Outlines the trends in educational funding patterns needed to enact educational reform. Local property taxes, state revenues, and federal aid continue to provide the bulk of financing. Includes two tables. (MD)

Summarizes findings of a 1979 national survey of governors, legislators, and other state policymakers on the major school finance issues and areas of concern for the coming decade. Condensed from "School Finance Reform in the States: 1980," published by the Education Finance Center, Education Commission of the States. (Author/SJL)

This paper examines whether the existence of national education goals implies a new federal role in school finance. Disparities across the 50 states in terms of fiscal capacity and tax effort, education spending, and several measures of educational outcomes are analyzed. The next section summarizes a study of variables that predict states with…

School finance reform will still be a major issue in the 1980s, in both state legislatures and the courts. Reform efforts have concentrated on four issues: differences in expenditure per pupil across districts within a state, links between expenditure disparities and district property wealth, services for special needs students, and unique…

This article discusses several relatively new issues involved in current debates over education finance policies, notes the research related to them, and summarizes the areas for which additional research is needed. The areas discussed are the impacts of school finance reform, school district financial behavior, the impact of school finance reform…

The two major changes in school finance during the 1970s were legal challenges in courts concerning fiscal disparities and changes in school revenues sources. The only significant 1980s change was decreasing federal revenues. The 1990s focus will be on state revenue changes, staff compensation, site-based management, incentives and sanctions,…