Date of Award

4-1987

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Public Affairs and Administration

First Advisor

Dr. John Sandberg

Second Advisor

Dr. Daniel Schooley

Third Advisor

Dr. Georgia Van Adestine

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Ralph Chandler

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare line item current operating expenses among school districts in Michigan having a student population of 10,000 but less than 50,000 and to present a budget model which establishes minimum and maximum line item current operating expenses for such school districts. Line item expenditures were compared and analyzed among those school districts within the same student population grouping.

Local school districts in Michigan are categorized by the State Board of Education into 14 groupings based on pupil membership. School districts in Groups B and C were studied. Group B included four school districts that have a student population of 20,000 to 49,999, which comprised an aggregate pupil membership of 116,219 or 7% of the total student enrollment in Michigan public schools for 1984-85. Group C comprised 14 school districts having a student population of 10,000 to 19,999 and included a total pupil enrollment of 205,091 or 12% of the Michigan student membership. By comparing the line item current operating expenses in Groups B and C, all districts of more than 10,000 but less than 50,000 students throughout the lower peninsula were reviewed. This represents more than 300,000 pupils or 19% of the total student enrollment in Michigan public schools for 1984-85.

It was concluded that comparisons could not be made in every line item because of such varied costs in the school districts and because school districts had no costs in some line items. It was also concluded that the basic data are so different by line item by school district that a budget model that establishes minimum and maximum line item current operating expenses was not possible.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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