Demographic change in industrial countries will influence educational spending in potentially two ways. On the one hand, the decline in the number of school-age children should alleviate the financial pressure. On the other hand, the theoretical/empirical literature has established that the concomitantly increasing proportion of elderly in the…

Current formula funding practices in the South and implications for the future are analyzed. Formula funding systems are used in 12 of the 14 states belonging to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Changes that have occurred in the formulas of each state since 1973-74 are described. Data from 1977-78 academic year are compared to the…

With state budgets in disarray, school districts are taking a hard look at cuts and possible reforms. At the state level the issue is the complex ways states fund public schools. Finding a better way to link dollars to academic performance includes simplifying school finance and equalizing funds to provide adequate education. (MLF)

The literature on funding formulas for higher education is reviewed, and the historical roots of state higher education funding relationships is traced, including three 20th century budget reform movements that were the antecedents of formulas. Attention is directed to conditions that will affect funding of higher education and formula responses…

Budgeting and budget planning in higher education are considered, and the long-standing debate concerning whether budgeting is largely a technical or a political exercise is reviewed in this monograph. The roles of various participants in the budgeting process and the form of their participation, with emphasis on centralization of authority in the…