THE CHALLENGE OF FINANCING PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN GREAT CITIES This statement was produced as the result of a report to the Board of Directors of the Research Council of the Great Cities Program for School Improvement from: REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GREAT CITIES Aker, Howard, Milwaukee Beecher, Dwight E., Buffalo Butler, E. R., Detroit Carlson, James E., Houston Clapp, Claude D., Buffalo Donovan, Bernard E., New York City Fox, Frederick G., Los Angeles Furno, Orlando F., Baltimore Helms, James K., III, Philadelphia Hill, Donald W., Chicago Lawson, Sam G., St. Louis Lynch, Charles J., Boston McElligott, Joseph P., San Francisco Mellinger, C. S., Pittsburgh Schaefer, John P., Pittsburgh Suessenguth, Karl O., Cleveland Wach, Michael, Cleveland RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF Bertolaet, Frederick, Executive Secretary PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT THE RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE GREAT CITIES RECOMMENDS I. That the cost of providing an adequate educational program for all children be the responsibility of the local, state and federal governments; the local share being determined by ability to pay with due consideration given to the total tax burden on the local community; the state share being in proportion to local effort and of sufficient amount to prevent overburdening local support; the federal share being a supplement to the local and state shares in providing for programs that are in the national interest or for pupils who are a federal responsibility. II. That state financial support programs recognize differences in costs for kindergartens, elementary and secondary general education programs, trade and technical education, and programs for handicapped children; and that provisions for summer school, evening school, and other extension programs be on the same basis as for regular day school programs. III. That building aid be provided for all types of school districts, with full consideration given to variations in the cost of school sites and construction. IV. That the local school tax base be expanded. V. That State or Federal support recognize that the local ability to finance public education is reduced in school districts in which the costs for nonschool governmental purposes are relatively high. The public school systems in the Great Cities of America face a crucial challenge to provide the kind of education which is necessary to meet the social, economic and technological changes taking place today in America. This challenge cannot be met without a renewed and continuing determination by the citizens. It cannot be met without adequate financial support to provide the school systems with the necessary personnel, facilities and materials to accomplish the task expected of them. In 1963 The Research Council of the Great Cities Program for School Improvement published a statement on the desirable policies underlying adequate financial support of public education entitled "FISCAL POLICIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GREAT CITY SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN AMERICA.” The present statement is an expansion of that declaration. It seeks to portray statistically the problems involved in financial support of the public schools in the nation's great cities. 36-177 O 64 18 RECOMMENDATION I: That the cost of providing an adequate educational program for all children be the responsibility of the local, state and federal governments; the local share being determined by ability to pay with due consideration given to the total tax burden on the local community; the state share being in proportion to local effort and of sufficient amount to prevent overburdening local support; the federal share being a supplement to the local and state shares in providing for programs that are in the national interest or for pupils who are a federal responsibility. Financial support for the public schools in the nation's great cities comes mainly from the local property taxes as indicated in Tables 1. and 2. The Great Cities are paying more of the cost of education locally, and receiving a smaller proportion of state and federal support than other school districts within their respective states. Table 2 illustrates the financial situation of the cities by comparing the sources of revenue of the Great Cities, with the sources of revenue for all public schools in the respective state. Twelve of the fifteen Great Cities are paying well over 60% of the cost of operating their schools from local revenues. Two cities are burdened with supporting 89% and 92% of the school cost locally. In only four of eleven states in which the Great Cities are located, is the state responsible for more than 33% of the schools' operating budget. The state share also includes Federal funds such as those for vocational education, which are channeled through state offices. Less than one percent of the public schools' budget in each of these cities comes from the Federal government, with only two exceptions: Washington, D. C. derives its funds through Congressional actions; Philadelphia is a federally impacted area and derives 2.2% of its budget from Federal sources. The major financial support for the public schools is still the local community. Table 2 SOURCES OF REVENUE* FOR GREAT CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 1963-64, AND FOR ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE RESPECTIVE STATE *Excluding building bonds and school lunch funds. **State data from: U.S. Office of Education, Digest of Educational Statistics, 1963 Edition, Table 31. Data is for 1962-63 fiscal year. |