Notes on this assignment:
I work in the Seattle School District (SPS) in Washington State.
Link to the SPS budget: https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/finance/budget/current-budget/
– We are using this textbook – Owings, W. A., & Kaplan, L. S. (2020). American public school finance (3rd ed.). Routledge. I can provide digital copies of the chapters if necessary.
Here are the instruction from the professor:
For your final assignment you will write a research paper describing how education is funded in your home state. In addition, your research paper will allow you to review and assess a district’s budget for the current school year, describing what funding says about the district’s priorities, and examining current and emerging funding issues. Your research paper should be somewhat detailed and must focus on your textbook assigned readings and other scholarly evidence, as it relates to educational funding.
Instructions:
Prepare a 20-25 page research paper capturing the major topics/ issues related to school finance that have been discussed throughout the course.
Your research paper should:
Note the issues surrounding your home state funding of education (include a discussion on the formula that determines a locality’s capacity to fund education and address equalization issues).
Address the types of taxation used and the effects on taxpayers.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of full state financing for your state.
Describe the budget process in your school district (Include who is involved, how does the process work, who approves the budget, how is the budget appropriated, how is it evaluated, etc).
Describe contemporary and emerging issues in your school district and make some recommendations on how resources can be best allocated for maximum return.
