State budgeting and resource allocation has been a complex process due to the demands of lobbyists for such strongly disputable priorities such as K-12 education, Medicaid, corrections, transportation, and health and human services. Funds, appropriated to institutions of higher education, are typically more delicate to the condition of the economy…

How a state chooses to design its system of funding schools is ultimately a question of education governance, determining who--state policymakers, school districts, or school principals--gets to make the decisions about how and where funding is spent. States have two primary ways of funding schools: the foundation, or base funding that is intended…

Today's school librarians are taking the lead with legislative advocacy for education and their efforts are beginning to have an impact on legislation. Advocates for school library programs in the state of Washington made historic legislative in-roads in 2009 with the passage of Substitute House Bill 2261. Arguably, the most important factor in…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions. The Legislative Reports follow education and budget issues from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in each of the 16 SREB states. The reports include bill numbers and legislative Web site…

When voters approved Proposition 98 as an amendment to the California Constitution, they sought to guarantee public schools and community colleges a level of funding that would at least keep pace with growth in student population and the personal income of Californians and at best increase the amount schools receive. The calculation of the…

The feasibility of awarding a single annual appropriation for the operating budget to the University of Alaska was investigated in 1982. Study methods included a literature review and a survey of practitioners concerning the advantages and disadvantages of a single appropriation versus several appropriations. In addition to surveying directors of…

This research, designed to analyze the process of educational policymaking in York State, focused on the role of the formal governmental structure, especially that of the State Legislature. A comparison between interest group leaders' and State legislators' perceptions of the legislature's role revealed some significant differences. Interest group…

Presents the statement of the state Commissioner of Education before the New Jersey Senate Education Committee in defense of increased funding to urban school districts provided by the Quality Education Act. Argues that state legislators have a moral obligation and legal duty to see poor school districts properly funded. (SLD)