Education as such is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, and public education has been the responsibility of State governments. In practice, the public schools have been operated by local communities and financed primarily by taxation of real property. U.S. Government acquisition of property for military use, defense production, and other federal activities have taken from many a school district part of its base for local taxation while adding considerably to its school-age population. This paper examines programs devised to moderate these burdens created for local governments by federal activities. (Author)