This study describes the current status of the state aid programs in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) membership: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The financing of educational programs in the SREB states in 1986-87 was compared to the financing of educational programs in 1978-79. When making decisions concerning funding and program design for public elementary and secondary education systems, state legislators and education interest groups often compare the information available from other states to the proposals for their particular state. If other states have enacted similar proposals or have considered them and not implemented them, the inquiring state will use this information to guide the decision-making process. American Education Finance Association (AEFA) members physically located in the states were recruited to provide a detailed description of their respective public school finance programs. When AEFA members were not available, the chief school officer was asked to provide the description. The information in the descriptions was verified by each state’s school finance office. A portion of the funds supporting change efforts flowed through traditional school finance formulae. Many of the states expanded basic funding and categorical programs. Much of the funding for new efforts was allocated outside of the equalization formulae used to provide the bulk of school support. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

In 1979, the West Virginia Supreme Court remanded to the trial court the highly controversial <i>Pauley v. Bailey</u> decision. Subsequently, the trial court judge, Arthur Recht, following the specific instructions of the Supreme Court, ruled the public school finance system unconstitutional. Justice Recht ordered the West Virginia Legislature to develop a state system for funding the public schools that would comply with the constitutional mandate to provide a system of public schools that was "thorough and efficient" (West Virginia Constitution Art. 13 Section 1). Thus, West Virginia joined six other states that have ruled their state systems for financing public schools violative of their respective state constitutions. The purpose of this study was to identify the historical circumstances affecting the public school finance system which ultimately led to the <u>Pauley</u> decision. In addition, the study traced and chronicled the legislative and judicial attempts to implement <u>Pauley</u> through the end of the West Virginia Legislature in 1984. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata