We study the progressivity of state funding of school districts under Tennessee's weighted student funding formula. We propose a simple definition of progressivity based on the difference in exposure to district per-pupil funding between poor and non-poor students. The realized progressivity of district funding in Tennessee is much smaller--only…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between state education finance distribution models and student achievement. To date, lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state finance systems have been heard in 45 states; the judicial interpretation of the requirement to provide equality of educational opportunity has…

Michigan radically altered its school finance system in 1994. The new plan, called Proposal A, significantly increased state aid to the lowest-spending school districts and limited future increases in spending in the highest-spending ones, abolishing local discretion over school spending. I investigate the impact of Proposal A on the distribution…

Tax revenue flows to California's nearly 1,000 school districts through many different channels. According to the Governor's Committee on Education Excellence (2007), this system is so complex that the state cannot determine how revenues are distributed among school districts, and after reviewing a large number of academic studies in the Getting…

This report examines funding disparities between two seemingly similar schools in Virginia and North Carolina. It finds that the federal, state, and local policies designed to distribute education funds systematically provide more money to higher-income students and wealthier schools. (Contains 5 figures.) [This report was also produced by the…

In a major development in the state politics of resource allocation, two rival political movements--school finance reform supporters and spending/tax limitation supporters--are going to confront each other in several states. (Author/IRT)

Examines the extent to which Minnesota's current school finance program satisfies the criteria of fiscal neutrality, equalization of fiscal effort, and accommodation of educational need. (Author/IRT)

Very little progress has taken place in achieving greater fiscal neutrality. The change in definition of local school district wealth produced a significant redistribution of basic subsidies with the relatively poorer districts receiving less funds. (Author/IRT)

Seven people knowledgeable about school finance discuss the effects of finance reform at the state level. (IRT)

Suggests that Florida's finance formula to relieve interdistrict cost-of-living differences fails to equalize school district attractiveness. (DW)

Reviews the history of finance reform in California beginning with the Serrano decision and ending with an explanation of Assembly Bill 65. It remains to be seen if AB 65 meets the requirements of the Serrano decisions. (Author/IRT)

Instead of removing differences based on wealth, the state distributions and the local differences are being confounded by changing educational needs prompted by declining enrollments. (Author/IRT)