| This survey study asked voters what positions they took on a local school budget proposal (approving it, opposing it, or abstaining from the vote) as well as certain of their demographic and attitudinal characteristics, then associated their voting positions with preferences regarding three school finance issues (which educational services should be financed; at which levels of government; at what cost).;The demographic and attitudinal characteristics were (1) age, (2) sex, (3) parental status, (4) size of property assessment, (5) household income, (6) level of educational attainment, (7) self-perception of support of educational services, (8) opinion of the effectiveness of local educational services, (9) opinion of the effectiveness of government, exclusive of educational services, (10) ideological position of recent presidential choices.;The results of the study showed positive relationships between respondent support for the local school budget proposal and: being between the ages of 30 and 49 years, being parents of children in the local public schools, having attained some education beyond high school, holding the opinion that the local school program is effective.;Concerning voter preferences in the three issues of school finance, support for the budget was related to respondent preferences for: "more" or the "same" funding levels for five educational services; a more even distribution of funding among the three levels of government, higher levels of funding for educational services.;Further, results of the study showed that opposition to the school budget was related to: being older than 49, not having school age children, not being educated beyond high school or college, perceiving oneself as a "School Critic.".;Budget Opponents preferred rises in service levels for fewer services while agreeing with Budget Supporters in preferring a more even distribution among governments but at a lower total cost. |
