The U.S. District Court ruling in Rodriguez vs San Antonio Independent School District, which struck down Texas' school finance system as inequitable and unconstitutional, provided the impetus for publishing this interim report. The report documents the growing cost of State-supported public school programs--the primary concern prior to the…

In the Serrano decisions, the courts found California's method of financing schools to be unconstitutional and gave the state until September 1, 1980 to reduce wealth-based expenditure differences to substantially less than $100 per pupil. The courts found three features of the state's system to be particularly onerous--the failure of the state to…

Assuming that full State funding proposals will become more prevalent as a result of recent court decisions affecting State educational financing systems, the author examines the problems and opportunities presented by full State funding and suggests a programmatic approach to the allocation of State funds to local school districts. He suggests…

The fiscal neutrality standard established by courts in recent cases holds that the level of spending for a child's education may not be a function of wealth other than the wealth of the State as a whole. In most States, funds for capital improvements in school districts are even more closely tied to district wealth than are funds for operating…

State officials attempting school finance reform are faced with the three interlocking problems of school finance, property taxation, and the crisis of central cities. The three basic issues to be considered in dealing with these problems are equity, adequacy, and efficiency. This report examines these school finance problems and critiques…

This handbook was created to provide the user with an informative reference of the various elements contained in the Louisiana Minimum Foundation Program formula. The MFP formula adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and approved by the Legislature determines the cost of a minimum foundation program of education in all…

This paper discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of three alternative philosophical and practical approaches for the equitable distribution of state aid to local school districts. These three approaches include the "equity through uniformity" approach, implemented through a Full State Assumption school finance model; the…

This report is one of a series on education finance undertaken to document existing disparities in expenditures for education, to analyze the sources of the disparities, and to describe and evaluate the gains and losses that would occur in differing types of school districts under alternative fiscal policies. This study shows that North Carolina's…

This document compiles several studies on educational finance, including "Federal Aid to Education: Who Benefits?""The Financial Aspects of Equality of Educational Opportunity," and "Legislator's Guide for School Finance." Also included are two briefs filed in the San Antonio vs Rodriguez case and a listing of current…

This analysis provides an overview of the educational finance problem, particularly as it relates to property tax burdens and equality of education. It also describes some systems of State funding and outlines and evaluates possible solutions to the finance problem. Some of these solutions include (1) increased Federal aid, (2) a local nonproperty…

This paper describes funding formulas for the new Foundation School Program in Texas enacted under the Education Opportunity Act (H.B. 72), raises issues that have accompanied its first year of implementation, and provides preliminary data to compare prior and existing law. The state finance system, which previously distributed state aid according…

In this speech, the author makes recommendations for the development of a national policy that would delineate roles among local school districts, intermediate school districts, States, and the Federal Government concerning the operation of school programs, the financing of school programs, and school governance. The author recommends that (1)…

This summary provides an overview of developments in school finance litigation since the United States Supreme Court's historic and lamentable 1973 ruling in "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" that wealth-based discrimination in educational expenditures does not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to…

This is the first in a series of monographs on current issues, problems, and practices in school administration. It is intended to provide experienced school administrators with a general review and a fresh look at various problems of school finance; school board members, State legislators, and members of Congress with a better understanding of…

This report presents an analysis of Illinois' present educational finance system and makes recommendations for future legislation to improve the system. The report discusses (1) State constitutional provisions, (2) the present tax structure and alternative taxing methods, (3) proposed distribution formulas and equalization methods, (4) financing…