The effect of tax reform on school health education programs

A number of Massachusetts schools implemented a health course as a result of passage of a 1974 law requiring teaching of health. This surge of health teaching now appears to be in danger in 1982 because of the passage of a recent tax referendum (Proposition 2 1/2). To determine projected impact of this tax reform on school health education, a questionnaire was sent to administrators of 200 school districts. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the number of schools implementing health courses since 1974. However, the tax referendum produced severe pressure for many newly developed programs to lay-off health teachers or eliminate health courses. School administrators recommended several coping strategies, including: employment of dual-major teachers, shifting required courses to electives, and marshalling support of the program through a viable School Health Advisory Committee. It was observed that Massachusetts serves as a case study forecasting impending fiscal crisis in other states.