Politicians, Judges, and City Schools : Reforming School Finance in New York

During the 1970s, a nationwide school finance reform movement―fueled by litigation challenging the constitutionality of state education funding laws―brought significant changes to the way many states finance their public elementary and secondary school systems. School finance reform poses difficult philosophical questions: what is the meaning of equality in educational opportunity and of equity in the distribution of tax burdens? But it also involves enormous financial complexity (for example, dividing resources among competing special programs) and political risk (such as balancing local control with the need for statewide parity). For those states (like New York) that were slow to make changes a new decade has brought new constraints and complications. Sluggish economic growth, taxpayer revolts, reductions in federal aid, all affect education revenues. And the current concern with educational excellence may obscure the needs of the poor and educationally disadvantaged. This book will provide New York's policy makers and other concerned specialists with a better understanding of the political, economic, and equity issues underlying the school finance reform debate. It details existing inequities, evaluates current financing formulas, and presents options for change. Most important, for all those concerned with education and public policy in New York and elsewhere, it offers a masterful assessment of the trade-offs involved in developing reform programs that balance the conflicting demands of resource equalization, political feasibility, and fiscal responsibility. "Synthesizes the political and fiscal research [on school finance reform] and applies it to the New York Context....A blueprint for how to redesign state school finance....A fine book." ―Public Administration Review "This is a book that lucidly discusses the issues in school finance and provides valuable reference material." ―American Political Science Review This book is designed to provide public officials, leaders of organizations concerned with school funding issues, and citizens active in educational affairs with information about the political, economic, and equity issues that underlie the school finance reform debate in New York State. It discusses present inequities and potential approaches to resolving school finance problems, paying particular attention to how to fund urban schools within the overall context of statewide fiscal equity and to the tradeoffs within the political and economic constraints facing the state. The introduction information about the political, describes the background for reform. The chapters which follow are (1) "Levittown v. Nyquist: Setting the Agenda for Reform," (2) "Political Factors Affecting Reform," (3) "The Economic Environment for Reform," (4) "New York State Education Aid Policy: The Formulas and Their Impact," (5) "Measuring Fiscal Capacity and Tax Effort in Urban School Districts," (6) "The Finance and Provision of Special-Needs Programs," (7) "Options for Reform: The Building Blocks," and (8) "Options for Reform: A Prototype and its Implications." The book includes the following appendices: (1) Mathematical Explanation of New York State Education Aid Formulas; (2) The Basic Prototype Formula; (3) Prototype Formula: Stage 2; (4) Prototype Formula: Stage 3; and (5) Simulation of School District Expenditures. (CG) Cover Title page, Copyright, Dedication Contents List of Tables List of Figures Preface Introduction: The Background for Reform Chapter I. Levittown v. Nyquist: Setting the Agenda for Reform Chapter II. Political Factors Affecting Reform Chapter III. The Economic Environment for Reform Chapter IV. New York State Education Aid Policy: The Formulas and Their Impact Chapter V. Measuring Fiscal Capacity and Tax Effort in Urban School Districts Chapter VI. The Finance and Provision of Special-Needs Programs Chapter VII. Options for Reform: The Building Blocks Chapter VIII. Options for Reform: A Prototype and Its Implications Appendix A. Mathematical Explanation of New York State Education Aid Formulas Appendix B. The Basic Prototype Formula Appendix C. Prototype Formula: Stage 2 Appendix D. Prototype Formula: Stage 3 Appendix E. Simulation of School District Expenditures Bibliography Index