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Reports & Publications

We've published hundreds of reports and analyses covering a variety of issues in education funding and state finance policy, and we're always working on new research reports. Browse through all of our reports and publications using the keyword search below, or search by a specific category using the drop-down menu below the Featured post.

Insights from District Leaders: How Rising Costs are Impacting Students & Teachers

Featured
Inflation written in white chalk on a green chalkboard

As districts work to meet increasing student needs and maintain high-quality educational programs, the purchasing power of state and local dollars has eroded under the cumulative effects of persistent inflation. To understand how rising costs are impacting students and teachers in the classroom, we conducted interviews with leaders across 18 school districts.

Insights from District Leaders: How Rising Costs are Impacting Students & Teachers One-Pager: Impacts of Rising Costs on the Classroom
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Education Funding Funding Formulas

Introduction to Features of Property Tax Systems

This report provides an overview of the basic features and structures found in property tax systems across the United States. Additionally, the report summarizes and analyzes the property tax systems of Connecticut and several of its regional peer states (Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Pennsylvania). Each state overview offers a summary of specific components of the respective state’s property tax system, including taxing authorities, property assessment, taxation rates, and tax exemptions and/or relief programs.

Features of Property Tax Systems
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Taxes

Comparing Connecticut's School Construction Program

In Connecticut, the cost per square foot for school construction, adjusted for inflation, increased 64 percent between 2000 and 2012. This report examines the costs, processes, and state funding associated with school construction in Connecticut and its peer states. The report also examines legislative changes made in 2017 to Connecticut's school construction grant program.

Comparing CTs School Construction Program
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Education Funding School Construction

The Research on District Consolidation and Vermont's Recent Efforts

This policy briefing provides a summary of the academic research on the benefits and drawbacks of state-led efforts to encourage, or require, school districts with low enrollments or density to consolidate. Consolidation of school districts has existed throughout the 20th century. Between 1940 and 2013, the number of school districts in the United States decreased from approximately 117,000 to approximately 14,000. This policy briefing also summarizes Vermont’s school district consolidation efforts with a specific focus on the content and impact of Act 46, passed in 2015, and Act 49, passed in 2017.

Research on District Consolidation and Vermonts Efforts
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Regionalization