Apportionment of school funds in California

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APPORTIONMENT OP SCHOOL FUNDS IN CALIFORNIA

A D is s e rta tio n Bresented to th e F acu lty of the School of Education The U n iv ersity of Southern C a lifo rn ia

In P a r t i a l F u lfillm e n t of the Requirements fo r the Degree Doctor of Education

by Marvin Douglas Alcorn June 1942

UMI Number: DP25693

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Th is dissertation, w ri t te n und er the direction of the Chairma n of the candidate’s Gui dance C o m m i t t e e an d a p p r o v e d by all m em be rs of the C o m m i t t e e , has been pr e s e n te d to and ac c e p te d by the F a c u lt y of the S c h o o l of E du c at io n in p a r ti a l fu lfi llm en t of the requirements f o r the degree of D o c t o r of Ed ucation. D a t e . . . . §. *....1 ^ .?

..... U

Guidance Committee

Osman R. H ull Chairman

W. G ile s Campbell Welty L efever Irv in g R. Melbo M. M. Thompson

o'

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION.................. . . . . . . ..........................

1

S ta te support fo r public education In C a lif o rn ia ....................

. • . . .

2

p u b lic schools .........................................................

4

Demands fo r increased s ta te aid to B asis f o r the study............................ II.

5 7

THE PROBLEM............................ Statem ent o f the p ro b le m .........................................

7

Aspects of the problem

7

D elim itatio n o f the problem.

.....................

9

Scope of the e q u a liz a tio n program.....................

9

The minimum program....................

11

P ro v isio n fo r the re o rg a n iz a tio n o f lo c a l school u n i t s ............................................. D isp o sitio n o f p resen t s ta te aid

III.

14

.................

17

Sources o f d a ta ..............................................................

18

O rganization of the study ............................

19

DEFINITION OF TERMS........................

22

F is c a l, a d m in istra tiv e , and classroom u n i t s ..............................................................................

22

Taxable re s o u rc e s ........................

86

Local e f f o r t ....................................

87

iii

CHAPTER

PACE Minimum or foundation program of education

.................................................

28

E q u alizatio n f u n d ............................................ IT.

28

PREVIOUS STUDIES A5D LITERATURE RELATING TO,THE PROBLEM. .

.....................................................

The pioneer s t u d y ....................................................

30 30

The p rin c ip le of payment fo r e f f o r t . . . . . .

31

The e q u a liz a tio n p rin c ip le c le a r ly defined.

..

32

- S tudies p e rfe c tin g e q u a liz a tio n techniques.

..

34

E q u alizatio n o f c a p ita l outlays .............................

35

C a lifo rn ia s tu d ie s ....................................................... ..

36

R elatio n of e q u a liz a tio n to the siz e of u n its o f admini s t r a t i on

.....................................

37

Findings o f the N ational Survey of School F inance........................................................

38

F u rth er a p p lic a tio n o f the Mort technique . . .

40

Other e a r l i e r s t u d i e s ....................................

41

A pplication of the e q u a liz a tio n p rin c ip le sin ce 1934. T.

......................................................

48

SUPPORT AND CONTROL OF EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA.....................................................................

44

The p ro p o rtio n of the ed u catio n al load borne by the s t a t e ........................................ * . . . S ta te c o n tro l of education ....................................

44 49

iv

CHAPTER

PAGE An ev alu atio n of s ta te support and c o n tro l of education in C a l i f o r n i a .........

VI.

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES OF EQUALIZATION.

. . .

61

O verview .............................................................

61

P rin c ip le s o f a p p o rtio n m e n t..................................

63

E q u a liz a tio n .................................................

64

E f f i c i e n c y ................................................. .... . . .

68

Procedures of apportionm ent.............................

71

F in a n c ia l asp ects o f e q u a liz a tio n .............

71

A dm inistrative asp ects of e q u a liz a tio n V II.

51

. . .

72

THE MINIMUM OR FOUNDATION PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS..............................................

74

A foundation program based on expenditures of th ir te e n co u n ties o f average w ealth

. . .

S e le c tio n of the key county in determ ining the lo c a l ta x r a t e ..........................................

83

An e q u a liz a tio n program based on the expenditures of fo u rteen counties of

V III.

average w e a l t h ..................................................

91

Summary.......................................................................

98

THE MINIMUM OR FOUNDATION PROGRAM OF EQUALIZATION FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS................102 A foundation program o f secondary education based on average co sts in eleven counties

74

V

CHAPTER

PAGE of average w e a l t h .............................................

105

S e le c tio n o f a key c o u n ty .................................

Ill

An e q u a liz a tio n program fo r secondary schools based on expenditures in twelve co u n ties of average w ealth .................... Summary XX.

.........................................................

119 131

THE, RE-APPORTIONMENT OF EQUALIZATION AID WITHIN THE COUNTIES............................

136

In tro d u c tio n ............................

136

Standards fo r f i s c a l , a d m in istra tiv e , and attendance u n i t s ..................................................

137

A review of standards fo r f i s c a l , ad m in istra tiv e , and attendance u n i t s .............................................................. .

138

Proposed standards fo r f i s c a l u n its in C a l i f o r n i a ............................

158

Proposed standards fo r a d m in istra tiv e and attendance u n its in C a lifo rn ia . . .

139

Procedures fo r re-apportionm ent of e q u a liz a tio n aid to school d i s t r i c t s X.

w ith in the c o u n t i e s .........................................

143

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................

146

R e-statem ent of the p ro b le m .............................

146

P rocedures....................

146

vi

CHAPTER

PAGE Finding the cost of the minimum program

................................

E sta b lis h in g the lo c a l r a te of ta x a tio n .

146 148

Determining the amount o f (e q u a liz a tio n aid re q u ire d ......................................................... Apportioning th e e q u a liz a tio n fund. . . . Major fin d in g s .............................................................

149 150 151

The minimum program of education fo r elem entary sch o o ls.............................................

151

The minimum program of education fo r secondary s c h o o l s .................................. Recommendations...................................................... BIBLIOGRAPHY

.....................................................................

152 153 157

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE I*

PAGE ^ in3c of Q alih ern ia Counties in Wealth per Elementary Classroom U nit in 19391940 ..............................................................................

II.

76

Bank of C a lifo rn ia Counties in Expenditures per Elementary Classroom U nit in 19591940

.*) I I I .

.........................................................

78

A Minimum Program of $2,592.93 Based on E xpenditures o f T hirteen Counties o f Average Wealth, 1959-1940. . . . . . . . . .

IV.

81

E q u alizatio n Aid to C a lifo rn ia C ounties on the B asis of a Minimum Program of $2,592.93 fo r Each Elementary Classroom U n i t ..............................................................................

V.

,A Minimum Program o f $3,015.74 Based on Expenditures of Fourteen Counties o f

. 13 pp.

172

A study o f a proposed in c re a se in s t a t e aid to elem entary schools from th e standpoint o f the (1) s t a t e ’ s a b i l i t y and (2) probable e f f e c ts on th e d i s t r i c t s . , and A lfred E. Lentz, Handbook of F a c ts . Sacramento, C a lifo rn ia : C a lifo rn ia Teachers As so e l a t i o n , 1940. 63 pp. A convenient summary of f a c t s about C a lifo rn ia schools, in te r e s tin g to laymen and educators a lik e .