1972-Governor's Education Task Force.
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Governor's School Finance Task Force. Chairman:
Davis, Executive Assistant to the Governor.
Both of these groups will review components of Governor
McCall's proposal for state tax and educational reform.
1972-Interim Legislative Committee on Taxation.
1972-Interim Legislative Committee on Education. Chairman:
Contact: Mike Carpenter, (503) 686-3495.
Commission on a Charter for Basic Education. It is
anticipated that this Committee consisting of approximately
35 members would be appointed in May of 1972. Seven
preliminary areas of study have been outlined: (1) Curric-
ulum; (2) Organization for instruction; (3) Management;
(4) Staffing; (5) Supporting staff; (6) Governance;
(7) Finance. Contact: John Kennedy, Chief of Staff for
Study Commission, (717) 787-6455.
RHODE ISLAND 1972-Two reports have been released by the Commissioner of
Education: (1) "Some Tentative Proposals for the Finance
of Education in Rhode Island." (Out of Print); (2) A Second
Step Towards State-wide Funding for Rhode Island's Public
Schools."
1972-Governor's Commission to Study School Finance. Created by passage of H5481. The 13 member Commission is to study federal findings (President's Commission Report) and develop a comprehensive financial plan for public education in Rhode Island. Report due January, 1973. Contact: Dr. Cynthia Ward, Education Resource Specialist, Department of Education, (401) 277-2681.
SOUTH DAKOTA 1972-Task Force to Study School Finance to be established by Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Don Barnhart, the South Dakota State Board of Education, South Dakota School Administrators, South Dakota Education Association, and Associated School Boards of South Dakota and the Governor of South Dakota. Contact: Mr. Clayton, South Dakota Department of Education, (605) 224-3448.
1972-Interim Education Committee conducting a study to recode South Dakota Laws as they pertain to education. Part of the work will deal with school finance.
Local Government Study Commission (Legislative Research
Council). A sub-committee of this Commission is charged with
studying the effects of "Serrano-type" court decisions.
Contact: Michael P. Ortner, Director, Legislative Research
Council, (605) 224-3251.
TENNESSEE 1972-Tax Modernization and Reform Commission for Tennessee.
Created by HB 933, substituted for SB 2168, now Public
The Commission is composed of 21 members including the Commissioner of Finance and Administration, the Comptroller of the Treasury, Commissioner of Education, two members of the House of Representatives, two members of the Senate, 14 members broadly representative of public and private interests including local government. The Commission is to study alternatives to present state and local tax structures. The specific aspects of the charge include: (1) Alternate methods of financing public school systems; (2) Fiscal relationships between state and local governments; (3) Methods of making state and local tax structure responsive to economic growth; and (4) Methods of distributing state and local tax burdens equitably. No deadline specified. Contact: T. B. Webb, Assistant Commissioner of Education, Division of Finance and Administrative Services, (615) 741-2971.
House Interim Committee on Financing of Public Education. A 22 member Committee supplemented by an additional 22 lay members has been appointed. Regional meetings and hearings are being held.
Texas Research League Study of Foundation School Program
Financing. The Lieutenant Governor, alarmed by the near $125
million increase annually in Foundation School Program costs
resulting from the acts of the 61st Legislature, asked the
Texas Research League to study the state's school finance
program. He asked that the focus of the study be ways to meet
the state's obligation in the next decade. The League
accepted the responsibility and outlined the following study
prior to the Rodriguez decision: (1) What has been the
effect of the 1969 school legislation to date?
(2) What are
the prospective trends in school finance for this decade under
current law? (3) How could the State control the total cost
of the Foundation Program? (4) How could the State shift a
larger portion of the local cost of the Foundation School
Program to local school districts? (5) How could the State
undertake a larger share of school costs and be sure that this
would be reflected in lower property taxes? Since the
Rodriguez decision, the focus of the study has been changed
somewhat to emphasize the seeking of alternative methods for
equalizing resources.
Texas State Teachers Association Task Force on School Finance and Program. Chairman: Archie Roberts, Superintendent,
Legislative Property Tax Committee. This Committee was
established by the enactment of Sb 414.
The group has decided
to focus on "Taxable Property Exemptions, Assessing,
Collecting, and Revision of Tax Suit Rules, and Data
Processing." On January 31, 1972, the Committee met in Austin
to organize for work. More than one hundred persons observed
as the Committee decided to divide the work into five
sections with a group of advisors and a chairman for each
section. The following persons were designated as chairmen:
Searcy German, Data Processing; Ken Quevereaux, Exemptions;
Norman Register, Assessing; Jim Nugent, Collecting; and
Jack McCreary, Tax Suit Rules. In addition to organizing for
work, the Committee listened to a proposal for financing the
public schools of Texas. The proposal, prepared by Searcy
German and Elroy Satterlee, was taken under advisement.
However, the Committee disavowed any intention to develop and
propose a school finance plan but declared that it would
monitor the activities of all the school finance committees
and stand in readiness to recommend ad valorem tax procedures
and laws to implement any school finance plan receiving
serious consideration.
Texas Manufacturers Association Public Education Research
Committee. The TMA Committee has declared that it is not
attempting to develop a school finance plan. The purpose
of its meetings has been to become informed regarding issues
in school finance. At a later date the group will advise
TMA to support or appose various proposals or factors within
proposals.
Texas Council of Major School Districts School Finance Task
Force. The Texas Council of Major School Districts
authorized the appointment of a Task Force to aid the Council
in fulfilling its appropriate role as the state seeks
solutions to Texas school finance problems. The group met
on February 11 to develop a draft of a basic position paper
on the school finance issue; the Council has planned
consideration of its adoption on March 11, 1972.
Texas Association of School Boards Foundation School Program
and Finance Committee. Chairman: Albert D. Brown, Jr.,
San Antonio, Texas.
Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
The Commission has been asked by the Governor "to study the
total ramifications of the federal court decisions, to
coordinate the activities of the many other committees, task
forces, research agencies and governmental agencies seeking
solutions to the problem of public school financing." It is
the Governor's opinion that this is the ideal group, being
well funded and broadly representative, to coordinate the
efforts of all groups. The Commission met on February 4 and
officially adopted the position described by the Governor.
The members declared their intent to act as a coordinating
body for all school committees and to evaluate the potential
impact of proposed plans. Chairman: Mayor Tom Vandergriff,
Arlington, Texas.
Special Task Force on School Bonds. The Governor's Task
Force on School Bonds met on January 6. The group decided
to take no action until the court handed down a clarification
of its Rodriguez decision. In addition to attacking the
immediate problem of restoring confidence in the bond market
or seeking alternative methods of retiring outstanding bonds,
the group was asked to be an advisory group to the Texas
Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations as that
group seeks solutions to school finance problems.
Joint Senate Committee on School Finance. Subcommittees:
Committee to Study Urban Education, Senator Oscar Mauzy,
Dallas, Chairman; Committee to Study Vocational-Technical
Education, Chet Brooks, Pasadena, Chairman; Committee on
State Tax Policy; Special Advisory Committee. The
Lieutenant Governor called a joint meeting of the above-
named groups on January 6, 1972 and charged them with the
responsibility of completing a comprehensive study of Texas
school finance problems and alternative solutions. Senator
Mauzy was named chairman of the Joint Committee and Senators
Mauzy, Moore, and Brooks were asked to meet to plan the next
step. Since the January 6 meeting, a generous preliminary
budget request has been placed on the Lieutenant Governor's
desk. The existing staffs of Senator Mauzy and Senator
Brooks are busy getting materials for the study. If the
budget is approved, a special staff will be employed. In the
news releases by the Lieutenant Governor's office, the Special
Advisory Committee was described as an advisory group to the
Urban Education Committee; but in the Lieutenant Governors'
charge to the Joint Committee, he referred to the Special
Advisory Committee as an advisory group for the Joint Committee
--the present staff is working on the latter assumption.
Contact: Cecil E. Rusk, Executive Director, Texas Association
of School Boards, (512) 476-9116.
1972-Joint Resolution #9 establishes "A Thorough Study of School Finance Programs for Utah". Participating in the Study will be the Legislative Council, the Local Government Study Group, and the Education Subcommittee of the Joint Appropriations Committee. Contact: Mr. Lewis Lloyd, Director, Utah Legislative Council, (801) 328-5481.
1972-Joint Resolution #69 to study school finance failed. Contact: Vermont Legislative Council, (802) 223-2311.
A School Finance Study Commission has been established by the
Legislature. The group is charged with reporting back to the
Legislature on February 1, 1973. Contact: Dr. Cochran,
Virginia State Department of Education, (703) 770-2601.
WASHINGTON 1969-Special Levy Study Committee appointed by the Legislature. Summary Report issued 1971. 1970 Special Session appropriated $410,000 for this Commission.
1972-School Formula Committee. Appointed by Legislature; $50,000
appropriated for this Study. Contact: Perry Keithly,
Program Director for Government Research, Washington Education
Association, (206) 943-3150.
WEST VIRGINIA 1969-72-Subcommittee on Tax Study. Established HCR #31.
1972-Study of School Finance. Established by JR #25.
Senator Mario Palumbo and Representative Charles Lohr.
Contact: Earl M. Vickers, Director, West Virginia Office
of Legislative Services, (304) 348-2040.
WISCONSIN 1971-72-Task Force to Study Educational Finance and Property Tax Reform. Appointed by Governor. Forty-six members; staff director is Mike Harder, 1120A Wilson Street, State Office Building, Madison, Wisconsin. Task Force to make recommendations to 1973 Legislature. Contact: Mike Harder, (608)
1972-Legislative Council is carrying on a study of school finance in Wyoming. Three Study Committees are operating: (1) Needs assessment; (2) Distribution of funds; (3) Available resources. Contact: Ralph E. Thomas, Director, Wyoming Legislative Service Agency, (307) 777-7702.
Finance Study Committee appointed by the State Board of Education. This Committee of approximately 15 people represents the legislative, educational and lay interests of the State. Final report is expected in the late summer of 1972. Chairman: Dr. Sheldon Anderson, Superintendent,
Glenrock, Wyoming. Contact: Dr. Dale Lucas, Wyoming Department of Education, (307) 777-7293.
President's Commission on School Finance: Review of Existing State School
Finance Programs, Volume 1.
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