This paper, number 18 in a series, chronicles the politics of school finance reform in the state of California from the mid-sixties to the passage of Proposition 13. It provides a description of the school finance setting prior to the consideration of Assembly Bill 65, including such events as the Serrano I and II decisions and the state…

California state-level policies are responsible for allocating nearly 80 percent of the revenue received by its K-12 school districts. In 2013-14, the state implemented the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which changed the allocation formula from one based primarily on equal revenue per pupil to an equity-focused allocation based primarily…

The consequences of the 1971 California Supreme Court decision "Serrano vs. Priest," in which the court sought to level disparities in school expenditure, and of the 1978 Proposition 13 property tax limitations are examined. The book concludes that changing the way California finances schools without changing the way it governs them has…

Court-imposed school finance equalization and tax limitation measures in California have created a centralized system of school finance. Political tensions and conflict that have arisen from this centralized control are discussed, with reference to the Serrano mandate and categorical funding. (SLD)

The systems of finance and governance of California's state universities and colleges and its community colleges have differed significantly. While the four-year institutions have been funded from the state budget, prior to 1978, the community colleges depended largely on local property taxes for revenue supplemented by state apportionments to…

This study reviews trends in public library finance; examines recent political, economic, and technological changes; and assesses the impact of these changes on public library services. A history of the public library in America is presented, as well as an analysis of the principles of economics and public finance which reveals that current…

Describes the impact of California's Proposition 13 on the finances of one California school district. (IRT)

This status report outlines the progress of the California Community College Finance Project. Working papers, models, and alternative proposals are reviewed in four areas: mission and function, finance, governance, and management. Priorities in mission and function are stated in terms of the characteristics and educational needs of the nearly 1.3…

In response to the likelihood of some form of tax limitation in Illinois in the near future, this study discusses a tax limitation measure that was proposed to the 81st Illinois General Assembly, the Taxpayer's Rights Amendment (also known as the Totten Bill), and compares it with measures recently passed in other states, with emphasis on…

The experience of California's community colleges in coping with the crisis created by Proposition 13 suggests that there are elements in institutional finance, mission, governance, planning, decision making, and information systems that can be monitored and manipulated to avoid administrative chaos in times of change. (MSE)

A review of the literature concerning educational finance, taxation, and California's Proposition 13 (1978) reveals that educational institutions encountered financial pressures before the passage of Proposition 13, and that these pressures--hardly specific to California--are highly visible in the South Carolina Technical Education System. The…

Describes the structure and scope of California's public postsecondary education system and discusses: (1) recurrent education within this system; (2) the recent "taxpayers' revolt"; (3) the impact of Proposition 13 on recurrent education; and (4) the difficulties faced by recurrent education because of new public expenditure priorities…

If one relies on newspaper headlines for education funding information, one might conclude that America's schools suffer from a perpetual fiscal crisis, every year perched precariously on the brink of financial ruin, never knowing whether there will be sufficient funding to continue operating. Budgetary shortfalls, school district bankruptcies,…

This paper discusses the impact of voter tax limitation initiatives in California on public postsecondary recurrent (or continuing) education efforts. The author provides background information on the structure and scope of California's postsecondary system and then describes the development of recurrent education programs within this system. The…

Nine major forces which will have influenced California public schools in the 1970-80 decade are discussed: reform initiatives; declining enrollment; declining public support; the Serrano decision; collective bargaining; Proposition 13; school integration; likelihood of an educational voucher system; and a proposed statewide spending limit. (MH)