Abstract

Rural and small schools through-out the country are facing serious problems concerning their ability to finance adequate maintenence, repair, and replacement of school facilities. The deterioration of school facilities is a constant process and recent estimates of the cost of needed repairs for school buildings in the United States surpass $25 billion. Kansas is one of 14 states with no state supported program designed to assist school districts with the financing of needed capital building projects. This lack of state support has resulted in the gradual deterioration of facilities in many districts. As the results of this study indicated, the condition of school facilities-measured by their replacement cost index including deferred maintenance-was closely related to the amount of debt that the school district population could support. It was also shown that the estimates for needed repair and replacement of facilities exceed an estimated $56 million in rural and small schools in Kansas. Further it was discussedthat if wealth-poor districts could not generate enough support to adequately maintain school buildings, serious equity issues need to be addressed by the state's legislature.

How to Cite:

Honeyman, D. S. & Stewart, K., (1985) “Capital Fund Mechanisms and the Condition of Facilities in Rural and Small Schools”, Journal of Research in Rural Education 3(2), 79–83.

Rights: Copyright