An important question about school financing is the possible financial consequences of school systems varying along a continuum from more to less political. This variation is "political relatedness," which is measured here with already available data from published sources. The impact of this political relatedness compared with other classes of influences on four school expenditures variables is investigated with multivariate techniques. In statistical explanation, political relatedness places second after environment. This finding is discussed in terms of understandings of influences on school policy and the need to investigate contemporary institutional structures as the outcome of historically antagonistic relations between classes in large cities. (Author)