A unique resource for both academics and practitioners, School District Budgeting provides a comprehensive look at the resource allocation process, from developing planning guidelines to reporting the results of financial operations. An all-inclusive guide, the book provides theoretical and practical treatments of the entire budget process.

A master story-teller, Dr. Jose A. Cardenas, offers us an insider's view of the 28-year history of school finance in Texas. Dr. Cardenas is the founder & director emeritus of IDRA & is the only person who has been actively involved in the entire school finance reform effort since the early days of the RODRIGUEZ VS. SAN ANTONIO ISD litigation when he was superintendent of the Edgewood Independent School District. More than a history, this book provides a blueprint for persons interested in bringing about future reform in schools & other social institutions. Beginning with a description of the Texas system in 1950, the account covers court cases, legislation, & advocacy efforts & concludes with the status & future of school finance reform. Personal vignettes sprinkled throughout offer glimpses of those special untold moments that impacted history. Much of this volume - including the myths of school finance & lessons learned - relate to reform efforts in other states as well. Dr. James A. Kelly, president of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, provides a foreword, "Fighting the Good Fight," describing Dr. Cardenas as a trailblazer & pioneer. (ISBN 1-878550-63-2; 1997; 387 pages; hardback) Distributed exclusively by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA); 210-684-8180; FAX: 210-684-5389; E-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.idra.org.

Making Sense of School Finance: A Practical State-by-State Approach thoroughly and clearly describes complex school finance concepts regarding local, state, and federal revenue along with authentic accounting processes in a straightforward manner for public, nonpublic, and charter school leaders. This logically organized resource delivers content on a specific state basis in succinct, easy-to-follow chapters that uniquely applies to each reader’s actual situation and location. Figures for each state funding model with real allocations, by example, illustrate respective funding model formulas, and the numerous tables in the text differentiate substance by jurisdiction (states and the District of Columbia). Practical subject matter to increase and acquire additional funding in this book that includes private and public grant application writing is vital reading for aspiring and practicing school officials. Above all, this text expands the reader’s comprehension of school finance topics beyond knowledge acquisition into knowhow applications through genuine, end-of-chapter projects and scenarios for discussion with colleagues. Applying the principles from this book remains an absolute necessity to position your school and district for a strong financial future.

Have you ever wondered what exactly you missed out on in high school when it comes to managing and controlling your personal finances? Finance 101 seeks to provide the information that many Americans are craving in precise and easy to understand terms so that anyone, regardless or prior financial experience, can set out on a path towards securing their financial futures. Whether you are 18 or 62, everyone can benefit from an education in personal finance. Finance 101 covers topics for the beginners such as how to create a balanced budget, how to start saving for your future, what kind of savings goals you should plan for all the way up to topics for the experts discussing the types of investment vehicles available to earn you extra income, ways to maximize your tax savings, and how to pay off your debts quickly and efficiently.

How can we help our kids develop the right habits and money management skills that will allow them to thrive financially in the real world? Parents know the importance of making their children financially literate at a young age. Yet, for most parents, providing financial training to their children remains a mystery. Following the wild success of Finance 101 for Kids, author Walter Andal's vision of guiding young minds to personal financial empowerment continues in this second installment. This latest inception takes everything we learned in the original book and applies it to real-life situations. Kids will have fun while learning practical financial lessons that they can bring forth into their adult lives. In Finance 102 for Kids, children and parents will learn: • How to spend wisely and live within your means • How to determine the real cost of a purchase and make informed decisions • Different ways to stretch your money's worth • How to resist unhealthy media and social influence • How to make credit cards work for you • The power of saving, investing, and compound interest • How to protect your money, property, and reputation • Things beyond money that can make you rich And so much more! This book is essential for parents who want their kids to flourish financially. Give your children the tools they need today, and set them up for financial success!

This inspiring account of bipartisan political success delivers an expert breakdown of how and why Kansas—a politically conservative state—was able to craft a stable, balanced, and equitable system of funding for its public schools. Beyond a chronicle of one state’s achievements, School Finance and Education Equity provides invaluable policy guidance and lays out a blueprint that other states can use to strengthen their own public education systems. Readers are given an insider’s tour of the Kansas story by Bruce D. Baker, an academic researcher and expert witness in school finance litigation. With more than two decades of involvement with the state, Baker combines historical background, legal analysis, and political and economic contextual data—along with a gleaming wit—to present a thorough, enlightening narrative of Kansas’s K–12 funding journey. As Baker points out, other states can find much to learn here. He shows that, when it comes to school finance, Kansas serves as an exemplar in aligning resources to meet the promises of its constitution. State leaders rejected the pervasive notion that money doesn’t matter in education, and they gathered the data to prove that it does. Baker emphasizes that this kind of slow and steady success hinges on the ability of stakeholders to remain involved over time. Continuity is vitally important. Baker’s account highlights how persistence can overcome opposition, continuity can aid reform, and incremental gains can lead to big change. In an era of national ideological polarization and political and economic volatility, the lessons from Kansas are especially illuminating.