Chapter 13 - Governance and Financing of Elementary and Secondary Schools

The funds for public elementary and secondary schools are split between the federal government (8.8%), the state government (48.6%), and the local government (42.7%). The state that is ranked number one in operating districts and enrollment in public schools is California, followed by number two Texas, and number three New York. At the local level, there are important people such as the superintendent and the school boards. The superintendent is the chief administrator of the school district, and the school board is the governing body for the operation of a school district. At the state level, there is a state board of education (policy-making body), a state department of education (administrative agency), and a chief state school officer (serves as executive officer of the state board of education and administers the state department of education). The goals that are followed in order to distribute money are equity, adequacy, and choice. Equity refers to the equal treatment of persons in equal circumstances. Adequacy refers to the extent to which educational funding is sufficient to provide the programs and services needed by all students. Choice has two different goals; one goal is the local control of funding decisions and the other is to give parents the power to select the school that their child will attend. Some state finance programs are equalized foundation grants, equalized effort-oriented programs, full state funding, flat grants, categorical grants, and state spending differences. Certain issues that deal with the financing of education are the new federal roles, the expanded state and local responsibilities, accountability, funding an adequate education and the increases in school enrollment.

~DaNo~