Date of Award

2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Microbiology and Immunology

Abstract

This qualitative research study investigated superintendents' perceptions of school finance in the State of Illinois. An online survey instrument, distributed via email, was used to collect the results. Superintendents that chose to participate answered questions about themselves as well as the demographic variables of the district they represent. The participants then went on to answer the finance survey questions. Responses to the finance survey were triangulated with the particular demographic information, much of which was separated into quartiles. The study sought to determine the answers to the following questions: (1) Do public school K-12 superintendents believe that they have sufficient resources to provide an adequate education for the students residing in their district; (2) What modifications, if any, would public school superintendents like to see in the way the State of Illinois funds public K-12 schools; (3) How would K-12 public school superintendents choose to spend funds if supplied with additional renewable revenues?

The results indicated a clear divide between superintendents whose school districts have large amounts of property wealth and those that did not. Many respondents indicated apprehension about their ability to staff and maintain their facilities. Superintendents indicated a lack of faith in the State of Illinois and the General Assembly to put forth the effort to correct what many see as problems in the way public schools are funded. Most respondents were dissatisfied with the fact that Illinois does not contribute a higher percentage of the overall revenues used to fund public schools. Superintendents in Illinois generally perceived a lack of equity between the "haves" and the "have nots," with the fiscal crisis of 2011 having the greatest impact on those districts that require the most assistance.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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