A study of equity in education finance: An analysis of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles elementary schools

The focus of this dissertation is an equity analysis of the parochial school finance models followed by the Catholic elementary schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. The participants in this study 180 of the Catholic parochial elementary schools located in five regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, for seven years of data gathered between the 1991–1992 through 1999–2000 school years. The framework used to analyze the equity of the finance model is the School Finance Equity Simulation outlined in School Finance: A Policy Perspective (Odden and Picus, 2000).;Finance in parochial Catholic elementary schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese is unique in relation to their public school counterparts. First, tuition is determined at each individual school site thus affecting per pupil spending, and second, the 1995 financial model utilized by the Archdiocese. This study offers useful information for use by policy makers and financial advisors within the Los Angeles Archdiocese and its Department of Catholic Schools, with implications as well for other Dioceses across the nation.;The findings of this study indicate that (1) wealthier schools generate more local and total income than poorer schools. This disparity is of concern due to the fact that the Archdiocese is a Catholic organization. Although each parish, as related by Canon Law, is financially responsible for itself, the Catholic Social Teachings documents, representing a culmination of 100 years of Church doctrine, call for social justice among all the Church represents. (2) In regard to horizontal equity concept, the financial income model for parochial elementary schools is equitable. The horizontal equity statistics, calculated via the school finance simulation, indicate an equitable collection of revenue for all elementary schools and across the seven years of data. (3) In regard to the wealth neutrality concept, the financial income model for parochial elementary schools is inequitable. The wealth neutrality results, also computed via the school finance simulation, indicate inequity in the school finance income model. That is, there is an inequitable relationship between average local wealth and average dollars generated per pupil for the parochial elementary schools across the seven years of data.