An Analysis of the Variation in School District Revenue "Recovery" After the U.S. Financial Crisis

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Multilevel Modeling Applications

Abstract

In this paper, I examine the association between the 2008 financial crisis and the recovery of school district revenue after the crisis. I posit that the recovery from this crisis played out differently across districts nested within states. In addition, I argue that specific legal characteristics explain these differences. I use a three-level linear hierarchical model that examines district total per pupil revenue over time, within states, and across states. I find a statistically significant drop in the year to year change in real total per pupil revenue after the recession. In addition, I find significant variation in these results across districts nested within states and across states. Unfortunately, additional work remains to be done to adequately explain this variation.

Author

• Christopher Saldaña, University of Colorado - Boulder