Examines state- and district-level spending patterns in Tennessee to assess the extent to which the Basic Education Program (BEP) funding formula has affected spending in the state and spending in districts with varying characteristics, for example, poverty status of students, school district size. Suggests that BEP led to greater education…

Analyzes the effects of 1997 Vermont school-finance reform legislation (Act 60) to resolve taxpayer inequity and disparity in per-pupil spending. Identifies shortcomings in Act 60 and suggests that alternative school-finance reform proposals such as Education Revenue Sharing may help legislators remedy some of these shortcomings. (PKP)

Examines the effects of 1992 Tennessee school-finance reform legislation to remedy unconstitutional inequalities in state funding of local school districts, particularly small, rural school districts. Finds that while legislation reduced fiscal inequity among school districts, differences in student mathematics and reading scores remained…

If contributed lottery revenues do not increase education expenditures by the full amount of such revenues, education expenditures are said to be fungible. As Ohio's situation shows, this potential fungibility problem draws into question state officials' primary justification for offering a state-sponsored lottery. (22 footnotes) (MLH)

A study of selected districts in 18 states concluded that economies of scale consistently and significantly influence how educational resources are allocated among schools. District size figures significantly in inequalities present within districts. Equalizing both school and district size is essential for achieving equitable distribution…

A recent study revealed deficiencies in the long-awaited "Abbott v. Burke" ruling, which benefited 28 inner-city districts and shortchanged poor rural and middle-wealth districts. By ignoring these groups of districts, New Jersey lawmakers have sown the seeds of taxpayer backlash, as evidenced by two recent lawsuits. (Contains 23…

Examines value-added student achievement levels of 74 school districts named as litigants in "Tennessee v. Small School Systems v. McWherter" and compares them with those of 64 nonlitigating districts. Although litigant districts have achieved greater fiscal equity, student achievement has not significantly improved. (Contains 11…

Examines whether school-expenditure theory can be described in terms of Thomas Kuhn's punctuated-equilibrium model: long periods of theoretical stasis interspersed with brief periods of revolutionary change. Current researchers, influenced by organizational behavior theories, believe that finding a global money/student outcome relationship is an…

Examines equity consequences of Tennessee's 1992 education finance reform. Assesses concurrent changes in student performance over the funding formula's phase-in period, addressing test-score distribution and movement toward adequacy. Results are mixed. Tennessee should consider incorporating an outcome-based, adequacy funding approach to achieve…

Argues that state school-finance reform efforts are focused on equalizing property-tax bases and per-pupil expenditures rather than on improving student performance to meet educational adequacy standards. Uses data from Wisconsin and Texas to measure cost differences, frequently substantial, among school districts. Demonstrates use of…

Reviews higher education racial desegregation equity since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1992 "Fordice" decision. Discusses historically black colleges and universities' future status and African-American students' progress, using finance data analyzed and interpreted via critical race theory. HBCU's receive inferior state appropriation…

Examines whether the Modern Red Schoolhouse, an expensive reform design, could be funded in high-, medium-, and low- spending school districts across Wisconsin. Most Wisconsin schools can afford MRS reform elements; less expensive strategies are also available. Findings may not apply to states with lower per-pupil fiscal investments. (Contains 26…

Examines effects of prevailing wage laws on school construction costs, using final cost data from six British Columbia school districts. When controlling for factors such as construction business cycle, number of competitors, and school type, there was no significant unit cost change following the Skill Development and Fair Wage Policy Act.…

lllinois's school finance reform goals may be achieved by providing property tax relief and increasing state funding out of income tax receipts, relying primarily on the state's growth dividend. Distributing the largesse of growth to poor districts over time minimizes richer citizens' sense of fiscal loss, making reform more politically palatable.…

Fully 40 percent ($5 billion) of Georgia's FY 2000 general funds budget is for K-12 education. There is increased funding for a homestead exemption, expansion of the HOPE (higher education) Scholarship Program, capital outlay projects, remedial assistance programs, and instruction of limited-English speaking students. (MLH)