Ways in which to stimulate an in-depth analysis of school finances are presented. The text is intended for a wide audience and can be utilized as a college-level text or as supplemental material. Nine chapters discuss a variety of topics of interest to public administrators: politics and school finance, including overviews of departments of education, local boards of education, the courts and school finance, vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter schools; the cost of education, such as mandates, collective bargaining, utilities, special education, and vandalism; paying for education through funding formulas and revenue sources; facilities and the infrastructure problem; budgeting and reporting, including budget development, controlling the budget, and financial accounting and reporting; insurance/risk management and suggestions for purchasing insurance; banking and investing; alternative sources of revenue, such as advanced treasury notes, advertising, energy management, facilities, and foundations; and the training required of school business administrators and the anonymity surrounding the position. Each chapter features a short conclusion that sums up its contents. (Includes a glossary of terms and an index.) (RJM)