Links, Publications, and Resources

These links and resources provide information about budget, revenue, tax systems, and policy proposals that affect public education funding in Oregon. See also our Education Funding News & Updates page.

Citizens for Oregon's Future
Citizens for Oregon's Future is a new coalition that is working to raise the level of public discussion on taxes and budgets in Oregon. Fact sheets on government finance and taxes are available on its web site.

Our Oregon Coalition
A broad-based, statewide coalition representing educators, seniors, parents, business owners and people who care about, and care for, our state's citizens.

Governor's Office Web Site 
• Governor's 2005 Report on Effects of a Balanced Budget on K-12 Education (Jan 24, 2005)

Oregon Legislative Revenue Office
• 2003 Oregon Public Finance: Basic Facts

Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office
The LFO provides information and analysis on the state budget including Highlights of the 2003-2005 Legislatively Adopted Budget.

Oregon Department of Revenue  
• 2003-2005 Tax Expenditure Report 
• Property Tax Statistics 2001-2002 
• Local Budgeting in Oregon  

Portland City Club  
• Tax Reform in Oregon is the 52 page final report of the City Club's Tax Reform Task Force.

Oregon Center for Public Policy  
OCPP has more than forty publications on tax, budget, poverty and other public policy issues including
Things Don't Look Different Here: Making Sense of Taxes and Spending in Oregon; and
Clearing the Air on Tax Day: Assessing the Tax Burden in Oregon 
Corporate Accountability Reporting; Frequently Asked Questions

League of Women Voters 
• K-12 School District Financing: An Update of Changes in the 1990's is a League of Women Voters report that describes how schools are funded and the shift from local to state control as a result of Measures 5, 47 and 50. It also examines how the demands on schools changed during the 1990's especially in regards to mandated school reform.

Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice
A Policy Maker's Guide to 'The 65% Solution' Proposals, by Gerald W. Bracey.

Oregon Department of Revenue
The DOR publishes tax forms, instructions, statistical reports and more. Their website includes extensive detailed information about budgets and taxes including details on all Oregon tax breaks from the 2003-2005 Tax Expenditure Report, an 11-page appendix that explains the history of tax limitation in Property Tax Statistics 2002-2003, and a guide to Local Budgeting in Oregon.

Publications about Oregon's Revenue and Budget 

2007 Study - Education Funding Impact on Oregon's Economy  (PDF, 100K)
A February 2007 study showing the economic effects of various changes to Oregon's fiscal policies such as eliminating the "corporate kicker" and increasing the corporate minimum tax. The study also demonstrates how increasing public education funding and children's health care bring substantial benefits to Oregon's employment rate and economic productivity.
Results from the study by Richard Sims of the Sierra Institute on Applied Economics are also available as presentations in both Adobe PDF (600K) and Microsoft PowerPoint (2.56MB) formats.

2003 Oregon Revenue Coalition: Working Together for Oregon's Future
A Primer on Tax Breaks in Oregon
Entire Report (PDF, 634K)
Executive Summary (PDF, 150K)
Spreadsheet (PDF, 87K)

School Finance Glossary
A PDF version of the school finance glossary is also available. Click here (PDF, 344K)


Cost and Consequence: Is Oregon Shortchanging Excellence?  (PDF, 380K)
An article on the Quality Education Model from the January 2003 issue of Today's OEA.

Education Funding: What Will it Take to Fix the Problem?
Excerpts from Today's OEA, April 2002, a special issue on education funding.

• Education Funding: What Will It Take to Fix the Problem? (PDF, 279K)
• 12 Years of Inadequate Funding in Oregon's Schools: Who's Paying the Price? (PDF, 55K)
• What Does it Cost? Putting a Price Tag on Quality Education in Oregon (PDF, 51K)
• Second Special Session Results in Cuts to Education: Lawmakers Refuse to Tap New Revenue (PDF, 25K) 
• OEA's School Funding Priority: OEA Identifies Key Steps in School Funding Campaign (63K)
• Education Funding: How Can We Make A Difference? (PDF, 1.16MB)
• Who Decides? (PDF, 1.16MB)
• What Happened to Education Funding? (PDF,1.16MB)

School Funding Statistics

The Oregon Quality Education Model
This link will take you to the Quality Education Commission web page, where you can download a copy of the Quality Education Model and/or an executive summary. The model will help lawmakers establish the costs of providing the education programs necessary for Oregon's children to meet the goals of the Education Act of the 21st Century.

OEA Supports a New Approach to School Funding
This article describes the Quality Education Model and its potential as a foundation for funding education responsibly in Oregon.

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