Financing Education in a Climate of Change

Each chapter concludes with “Summary,” “Assignment Projects,” “Selected Readings,” and “Endnotes.”

Preface.


1. The Economics of Education.


Economics and Social Progress.



Education: An Important Industry.



Equity versus Equality.



Resource Allocation to Education.



Education as Human Capital.



Creation of Wealth and Education.



Increasing Expenditures and the Economy.



Noneconomic Benefits of Education.



Education Produces External Benefits.



Cost-Quality Relationship in Education.



2. Financing Education Adequately.


Education Deserves Higher Priority.



The Increasing Costs of Education.



The Consequences of Not Educating People.



Education and Accountability.



Underinvestment Is Poor Economy.



Education's Share of the Gross Domestic Product.



3. Financing Education Equitably.


Inequalities in Financing Education.



Equity Issue Revisited.



Equity: An Objective of School Finance Reform.



Equity at the School Level.



Measures of School District Wealth.



Historical Influence on Equity.



Local District Funding.



The Equalization Principle.



Improving State Equalization Practices.



Foundation Program Variations.



The Impact of Average Daily Attendance on Equity.



Confusion in Current School Finance Practices.



4. Patterns for Developing School Finance Systems.


Concern for Equal Rights.



Full State Funding.



District Power Equalization.



Property Reassessment and Local District Revenues.



Determining the Best Finance Plan.



Equalization of Services.



Emphasis on Weighting Factors.



Principal Types of Weightings.



5. Sources of Revenue.


The Taxation System.



Characteristics of a Good Tax System.



Criteria for Evaluating Tax Structure.



Taxes for Education.



Property Tax.



Income Tax.



Sales Tax.



Sumptuary Tax.



Severance Tax.



Potential New Taxes.



Lotteries.



Private Foundations.



School-Business Partnerships.



6. Eroding Local Control.


Diminishing Local Control.



Decreasing Rural Influence on Education.



Decreasing Urban Economic Advantages.



School Districts: Basic Administrative Units.



The Administration of Local School Districts.



Local Fiscal Control.



Advantages of Local Control.



Fiscal Independence of School Districts.



Trends in Local Taxation Practices.



Measures of Local Taxpaying Ability.



Local, State, and Federal Tax Responsibility.



7. Education: A State Function.


Early Development of State Responsibility.



Development of School Finance Policies.



Development Stages of School Finance Theory.



The Varying State Role.



State Financial Support.



Federal Funds and State Support of Education.



State Ability to Support Education.



8. Federal Interest in Education.


Historical Role of the Federal Government.



Federal Involvement: A Fluctuating Role.



Federal Expenditures.



Limited Federal Aid: A Reality.



Federal Fiscal Advantages and Disadvantages.



Distributing Federal Funds.



Federal-State-Local Finance Sharing.



Federal Aid in Lieu of Taxes.



Increased Governmental Services.



The Future of Federal Aid-to-Education Programs.



Department of Education.



9. The Influence and Climate of the Courts.


Courts Often Generate Change.



Courts Decision Guidelines.



Power of the Courts.



Equal Protection and the Courts before 1971.



Serrano versus Priest (1971).



Consequences of Serrano.



San Antonio Independent School District versus Rodriguez (1973).



State Court Cases.



Meeting Court Mandates.



Principles Established by Court Decisions.



Pressure for Reform.



Finance Studies and Reform Efforts.



Factors Limiting School Finance Reform.



California's Proposition 13.



Finance Reform or Tax Reduction.



10. Public Funds and Nonpublic Schools.


A Controversial Issue.



Nonpublic School Enrollments.



The Law and Church-State Relations.



Federal Aid and Nonpublic Schools.



Intervention by the Courts.



Educational Choice.



Charter Schools.



Approaches to Choice.



Controversy Not Solved.



11. Financing School Facilities.


Complete Local Support.



Factors Restricting Local Responsibility.



State Capital-Outlay Financing.



The Federal Government and Capital Outlays.



State Support: A Trend.



Debt Limitations Liberalized.



Equity in Financing Educational Facilities.



Equalization of School Building Costs.



Local Capital-Outlay Finance Plans.



Local School Bonding Practices.



Impact Fees.



Other Alternatives.



12. Administering the School Budget.


Evolution of Budgetary Practices.



The Budget.



Administration of the Budget.



Budgeting at the School Level.



Systems of Budget Administration.



Challenge of Leadership.



13. Accounting and Auditing.


The School Accounting System.



Standard Accounting Practices.



The Use of Clearing Accounts.



Encumbrance Accounting.



Cost Accounting.



Accrual Accounting.



Computerized Accounting Systems.



Receiving and Depositing Funds.



Expending School Funds.



Financial Reports.



Auditing.



Protecting School Funds.



14. Property, Risk Management, and Insurance.


The Business Office.



Delegating Responsibility.



The Business Manager.



Functions of the Business Office.



Supplies and Equipment.



Purchasing.



Supply Management.



Risk Management.



Main Types of Insurance.



Extended Coverage.



Stock versus Mutual Insurance.



Self-Insurance.



Liability Insurance.



Regulation of Insurance.



15. Human Resources and School Finance.


Problems in School Human Resources.



Teacher Salaries.



Salary Schedules and Merit Pay.



Trends in Salary Scheduling.



Benefits.



Teachers and School Finance.



The Changing Assignments of Teachers.



Administrative and Supervisory Salaries.



Noncertificated Personnel Salaries.



Payroll Policies and Procedures.



Current Issues in Human Resource Administration.



16. The Road Ahead in School Finance.


The Unpredictable Future of Public School Finance.



Unresolved Issues.



Some Characteristics of Educational Structure.



School Finance Goals.



The Challenge.



Appendix: Some Important Federal Programs.


Index.