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The impact of affiliation on selected school districts in Nebraska

Gerald George Ehlers, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The purpose for conducting this study was to determine the impact of the affiliation concept in fulfilling the legislative intent for the reorganization of school districts as adopted by the Nebraska Legislature in 1988. Affiliation is defined as an ongoing association of a Class I School District with one or more grade K–12 school districts for the purpose of providing instruction for high school students residing in a Class I School District and providing a common tax base to finance the program. The population for this study consisted of 75 grade K–12 school districts in the State of Nebraska that had been identified in the 2000/01 Nebraska Educational Directory as the primary high school district for at least one Class I School District. Superintendents were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding seven concepts included in the affiliation process: curriculum coordination, cooperative programs, student services, bond elections, student transportation, special taxing funds, and advisory committees. Of the grade K–12 school districts included in the study, fewer than one-half participated in any curriculum coordination activities, nearly three-fourths participated in at least one cooperative program, about one-half provided at least one service, and fewer than one-third provided daily transportation to high school students. More than one-half of the grade K–12 school districts that had an unsuccessful bond election prior to affiliation experienced a successful bond election after affiliation. Three-fourths of the grade K–12 school districts did not have any special taxing funds for the improvement of high school facilities and less than one-half had a functional advisory committee. A review of Nebraska Department of Education records indicated that one-third of the Class I School Districts dissolved and merged with another school district since the inception of affiliation. An analysis of the financial support for an affiliated school system indicated that the property taxes increased dramatically for the Class I School Districts, while the property taxes for the grade K–12 school districts increased only slightly.

Subject Area

School administration

Recommended Citation

Ehlers, Gerald George, "The impact of affiliation on selected school districts in Nebraska" (2002). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3045514.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3045514

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