Fractionalization and tax effort to fund Illinois public schools: an equity analysis

Fractionalization is a quantifiable measure of diversity for a categorical variable within a population. In public education, research supports the sociological benefits of having a diverse student and faculty population. From a school funding perspective, however, a diverse student population may adversely impact a community’s property tax effort to fund public education. In Illinois, local property taxes are the primary source of revenue that supports public school expenditures. Disparities in per pupil expenditures between school districts in Illinois rank among the worst in the nation. These disparities are directly related to this state’s heavy reliance on local property taxes. This paper analyzes the extent to which diversity, in terms of racial composition of students, levels of low socioeconomic status, and the proportion of a community that chooses to send their children to nonpublic, and primarily religious schools, affects school district effort to fund public education with local property tax revenue. Descriptive and inferential quantitative statistics are used to determine if a statistically significant correlation exists between Illinois unit school districts’ local tax effort to fund education, as measured by the ratio of local revenue per pupil to equalized assessed valuation (EAV), and measures of racial fractionalization, low socioeconomic status, and the proportion of families who choose to send their children to nonpublic schools.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Ed Organization and Leadership

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Moeller, Douglas

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alexander, S. Kern
• Anderson, Carolyn J.
• Kose, Brad W.
• Shields, Carolyn M.

• fractionalization
• tax effort
• vertical equity

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Douglas Moeller

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/29709

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/29709