School Finance

EDL 653

Syllabus

Course Description

This course gives students a comprehensive overview of the current status of school finance. The course covers the economic value of education, financing education equitably and adequately, how schools have been funded historically, the role of the state and federal government, the influence of the courts, administering the school budget, accounting and auditing, human resources, and what is ahead in school finance. The students will be directed to a wide variety of websites which will expand and refine information presented in the text. Additionally, students will interact with the course instructor through email and the discussion forum. They will interact with each other in the discussion forum.

Objectives

Recognize why good education is good economy.
Examine the necessity of financing education adequately and equitably.
Compare and contrast the different patterns of school finance systems.
Generate a list of the sources of tax and non-tax revenues.
Recognize why education is a state function and how that function has developed over the past two hundred years.
Appraise the role and interest of the federal government in education.
Point out how state and federal courts have impacted the financing of education.
Debate the issue of using public funds for non-public schools.
Assess the financing of school facilities.
Propose how to create and administer the school budget.
Justify the importance of accounting and auditing.
Examine the business aspects of the school system.
Express how human resources is interdependent with and affects school finance.

Curriculum Design

School Finance is a forty-five hour graduate level course. Successful completion of all course and student requirements will earn the student three (3) graduate credits. Students will be involved in a variety of tasks for completion of course requirements. These tasks include: readings, reports and reflections on readings, analysis of concepts, development of plans as related to best practices, and forum postings and interactions with course professor and other students. The work for this course is expected to the original work of the student except where properly documented.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

Financing Education in a Climate of Change, 10^th edition, by Brimley, V., and Garfield R., 2007.Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Additionally, students also are required to use the latest update of Funding for Florida School Districts, Florida Department of Education, Tallahassee, FL. (2008). http://www.fldoe.org/fefp Students will also have additional selected reading assignments from research via each module.

Course Outline

Module 1: The Societal Contribution of Education

The Economic and Non-Economic Benefits of Education
Taxation and Education
Demographic and Social Changes
The Consequences of Not Educating People

Module 2: Equity and Models of Educational Funding

Historical Influences on Equity
The Equity Principle
District Power Equalization
Weighting Factors

Module 3: State Models of Funding Distribution

Florida’s Model of Funding
Other State Models

Module 4: Sources of Revenue for Public Schools

Taxes for Education
Other Sources of Revenue
Characteristics of a Tax System
Federal Interest and Expenditures

Module 5: A History of Educational Funding

Early Development of State Responsibility
Land Grants
Early Taxation Patterns
Stages of School Finance

Module 6: Methods of Calculating Needed Revenue

Two Primary Methods: Average Daily Attendance (ADA) and Average Daily Membership (ADM)
Florida Full Time Equivalent method of student enrollment/attendance calculation
Other State’s Calculations

Module 7: The Influence of the Courts

1. Court decision guidelines \

Landmark Cases
Principals Established by Court Decisions
Choice, Vouchers, Charter Schools, and Tax Credits

Module 8: Administering the School Budget

Budgeting and Administering the School Budget
Systems of Budget Administration
Internal Account Management

Module 9: Financing Facilities, Accounting and Auditing, Public Funds and Non-public Schools

Capital Outlay Plans
Impact Fees
Principals and Forms of Accounting
Auditing
Child Benefit Theory
Objections to Private Choice, Vouchers, and Tuition Tax Credits

Module 10: Business Aspects and Human Resources

Supplies, Equipment, and purchasing
Transportation and Food Service
Human Resource Issues
Salary and Payroll
Final Exam

Course Requirements:

Students are to complete eight reflections on module topics.; 40 points (5 pts each)
Students are to interview a school principal or finance officer and gather data for issues related to trends in public school finance. Students are to prepare a summary of their findings. Students are to submit their interview summary in week 6. 16 points.
Students will post to five selected forums. 25 points (5 points each)
Students are to complete a final position paper. Maximum points 20.

Grades

100-93 - A
  92-85 - B
  84-77 - C
  76-69 - D
  68- 0 - F

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Brimley, V and Garfield, R. (2008) Financing Education in a Climate of Change. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Funding for Florida School Districts. (2008) Florida Department of Education. http://www.fldoe.org/fefp/pdf/fefpdist.pdf

Finance and Program Cost Accounting and Reporting for Florida Schools. Chapter 7: School Internal Funds. www.fldoe.org/fefp/pdf/red7.pdf

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.