Examines the nature and extent of principal involvement in school renovation, assesses costs and benefits thereof, and reviews principal training in school renovation. (PKP)

Interviews involving 58 Ohio stakeholders focused on detailing state K-12 education goals, identifying the current system's strengths and weaknesses, and discussing the financial/political viability of potential school funding strategies. Consensus emerged regarding the role of property taxes, local control, the foundation formula rationale, and…

Thus far, Florida's school funding system has withstood equity-based attacks. Florida's new, clearly defined accountability standards, coupled with newly strengthened constitutional wording regarding education, may succeed in persuading courts that "adequate provision" is not being met. The statewide voucher system may also attract…

Discusses available data on special-education costs, reviews New York State's initiative to document educational outcomes for special-needs students, and summarizes three service-delivery models. A cost-analysis of one district's program shows a model's cost is related to the identified number of special-needs students and their needs. (Contains…

Employs time-series evidence for a U.S. panel data set (covering 1979-90) to determine how long-run changes in certain factors (changes in income, students, and demographics) affect resources devoted to K-12 education. The two most important determinants of spending per student are personal income and number of students. (Contains 24 references.)…

Summarizes goals of state education aid, presents a conceptual model of aid's welfare effects, and examines the literature of tax and expenditure effects. Capitalization changes the relative desirability of two goals; equalizing resources across districts becomes less important than equalizing school districts' actual spending levels. (Contains 45…

An active participant in Indiana's and Washington's school-finance-reform process explains why one-size solutions pinch hardest on urban schools and how an issues-driven approach can keep states from being prematurely pushed to the "solution stage" of their deliberations. Child-centered approaches generally trump standards-based…

Results of state-by-state study of unmet school infrastructure needs using multiple data sources. Found that aggregate unmet infrastructure needs of $266.1 billion were significantly larger than found in earlier studies and varied substantially among states. Suggests different short- and long-term funding strategies to address problem. Includes…

Compares state funding for school infrastructure needs between 1993-94 and 1998-99. Found 164 percent increase in state infrastructure funding. Examines state funding mechanisms such as flat grants, equalized grants, categorical grants, and full-state funding. Fourteen states provide no state infrastructure funding; most rely instead on…

Describes history of state school-finance litigation and legislative efforts related to the construction and renovation of school facilities in New Jersey. Provides a detailed description of the Educational Facilities Construction and Finance Act. Discusses current status and challenges in implementing the act, concluding with an analysis of…

Reviews 30 years of state efforts to support school-facilities construction and renovation in Texas. Describes recent state programs to provide direct funding for school facilities: Instructional Facilities Allotment, Existing Debt Allotment, and New Instructional Facilities Allotment. Although state funding of school facilities has increased,…

Describes Ohio's efforts to fund school facilities following a state court decision that Ohio Constitution required adequate facilities. Explores political and economic factors for relative success of state programs to fund school facilities. Despite these efforts, voter-approved bond issues remain the principal means of funding facilities. (PKP)

Results of study of impact of Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act on 25 school-construction project costs from 1992-97 and effect thereof on local school districts' taxes. All districts had higher construction costs and property taxes. Projects increased construction costs for the Commonwealth and recommends revisions in prevailing wage-rate law.…

Examines, state-by-state, the decline in assessed property values of electric utilities due to deregulation and the resulting impact on school district revenues. Concludes school revenue shortfall problems are more likely to occur in 12 states. Suggests strategies state governments can employ to respond to lost valuation and revenue. (PKP)

Reviews history of incremental improvements in Iowa's school finance system. Using standards of taxpayer and student equity, reexamines the finance system and test effects of recent reforms. Discusses how Iowa and other legislative-initiated reform states fit into the overall pattern of school finance reform. (Authors/PKP)