In recent years, court mandates in education adequacy cases have resulted in substantial increases in state-level support for local building needs in a number of states. The Court of Appeals' decision in "CFE v. State of New York" has made clear that extensive facilities deficiencies in New York City constitute a major constitutional…

This paper analyzes the approaches that states can take to address the needs of families facing the loss of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits due to time limits. Ways in which these approaches can be funded with state or federal welfare funds are discussed. The paper examines how states can use federal TANF or state…

The Virginia legislature has imposed a four-year freeze on tuition for all colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). This paper suggests that freezing tuition rates can only be a temporary fix in the search to find ways to fund education. The paper examines the effects of stable or lowered tuition rates in community colleges: will…

The Illinois Educational Facilities Authority (IEFA) is a public instrumentality created to provide assistance to not-for-profit, private institutions of higher education. It does so by furnishing the means for such institutions to finance or refinance the construction or acquisition of educational facilities throughout the state. The 1996 annual…

Every 10 years, the national census describes the number of U.S. residents and their characteristics. This decennial census, however, is subject to error. This report summarizes what is known about census undercount and methods used to adjust census data, emphasizing the undercount of children and minorities. The Census Bureau reported that more…

This report explains that the General Fund budget: provides $1,232.6 million for the FY 2003-05 biennium; slashes student financial aid funding by 8.6 percent; includes a reduction of 3 percent for Early Retirement Incentive Plan salary savings; represents a budget that is 16.5 percent below requested current services funding, $15.8 million below…

This report examines institutionally and state funded grants to students attending public higher education institutions, using data from a U.S. Department of Education survey to analyze the characteristics of students receiving these grants and changes in use of the grants. It also examines whether institutional and state grant awards are related…

Vermont's Act 60 is arguably the most equitable school funding system in the nation. However, it is also one of the most controversial. The disputes are primarily focused on the recapture provision that sends excess revenues from property-rich towns to the state's education trust fund. After a 4-year implementation period, the system is now in its…

This document provides summaries of each state's activities to address their the shortage of school buildings by supporting school construction. It reveals that 11 state subsidize, reimburse, or match local funding for construction projects; 10 states have an established formula for determining the amount of stat funding each school district…

This report responds to a Minnesota legislative requirement that required the Commissioner, with the advice of the Medical Education and Research Costs (MERC) Advisory Committee, to "develop a system to recognize those teaching programs which serve higher numbers or high proportions of public program recipients and...report to the legislative…

The implementation of corrective action to improve low-performing schools and school districts has varied across the nation from verbal reprimands to state and private takeover. Currently, 34 states have formal plans for corrective action. Although little evaluation of the effectiveness of these actions on improving student and school performance…

This report provides an overview of New York State's 1999-00 budget. The analysis states that spending for 1999-00 increased by $2.7 billion over the previous year. It portrays a dire situation in which projected budget gaps will be approximately $2.8 billion in 2000-01 and $4.6 billion in 2001-02. The budget does feature planned, year-end fund…

The Academic Support Services Program (ASSP) provides funds to Massachusetts school districts to develop or enhance academic support for students in second through tenth grade who performed poorly on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) or on other standardized assessment measures. In 1999, the Massachusetts Education Reform…

The February 15 projection is important because it corresponds to the timing of the state's February revenue forecast and, potentially, proposals to change the biennial budget. Besides informal consultations with various interested parties, the Services Office held a meeting on January 30, 2004 for interested parties, as specified in legislation,…

It is the purpose of this study to conduct a detailed inquiry into the reorganization of the governmental machinery for administering State financial affairs as it effects State higher education in each of the 48 States. Among the pertinent questions to be answered are the following: (1) In which of the States has the centralized fiscal control…