New legislation in California will allow school districts, such as Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), to consider the "financial and academic impact" when approving or denying applications for new charter schools. OUSD has been in fiscal distress in the past and faces fiscal challenges that continue to play out in classrooms across…

Like other states, Michigan has implemented a number of policies to change governance and administrative arrangements in local school districts deemed to be in financial emergency. This paper examines two questions: (1) Which districts get into financial trouble and why? and (2) Among fiscally distressed districts, are there significant…

This case represents a multitude of leadership dilemmas created by financial exigencies and the difficult decisions that must be made during times of economic austerity. Under the best of circumstances, deciding between programmatic elimination and/or employee termination is agonizing, onerous, and filled with political and social ramifications.…

California's financial commitment to higher education has been compromised by fiscal crises and competing state priorities. Despite large increases in the demand for higher education, state general fund spending in this area has declined notably over the past ten years. California now spends more on corrections than on its public universities.…

This essay examines the administration of public multi-campus universities, focusing in particular on central administration and the State University of New York (SUNY) system and on responses to the need for fiscal austerity. Before treatment of the main topic begins, the essay offers a look at five reasons for the suspicion and resentment that…

This article by T. Edward Hollander, offers an overview of the current condition of state funding for higher education, noting that unlike secondary and elementary education, higher education may appear to be a discretionary appropriation which state leaders can expand or reduce depending on the state's fiscal circumstances. Suggesting that…

Canadian education has traditionally been financed by two major sources: (1) transfer payments from the federal government to the provinces; and (2) residential and business property tax revenues levied by municipalities. The Canadian federal government has recently announced a planned cut of 750 million dollars a year for 3 years in transfer…

This articles examines litigation which has been generated as a result of fiscal cut-backs at institutions of higher education and looks at the rights and obligations of college and university administrators and students as well as possible future trends. A first section details the effects of budget reductions at California state institutions…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title. It reviews the need to better manage higher education expenses in light of budget cuts and reductions in appropriations and other public services. It is noted that tuition, although increasing, has been increasing at a slower rate since 1981. Also, faculty salaries have not…

In an effort to determine the extent to which Arkansas community and technical colleges have been affected by budgetary restraints, changing enrollments, unstable state support, and other problematic factors during academic years 1989-90 through 1991-92, a survey was administered to all 9 community colleges and 10 technical colleges. Survey…

This collection of five essays on public higher education in New York State treats challenges and conditions for public institutions during the current and continuing conditions of financial austerity. The first, "Productivity and Cost Containment: The Challenge of Public Sector Budgeting" looks at financial management and budgeting as…

This report focuses on the need for better management of higher education resources in view of the rising costs and changing revenues now confronting higher education institutions in the United States. Rising costs and changing revenues are reflected in stagnating faculty salaries, a decline in enrollment, rising administrative and insurance…