Picus Odden & Associates
Principal Partners: Lawrence O. Picus and Allan R. Odden
Lawrence O. Picus and Allan R. Odden have nearly 75 years of experience working at the state and local levels on school finance issues. Picus Odden & Associates has vast experience working on school finance issues – design, development, implementation and evaluation – with over three fourths of the states and scores of school districts across the nation. Picus Odden & Associates seeks to help states and district find an appropriate level of resources to allow all schools to provide every student an opportunity to become college and career ready by the end of high school.
The company operated as Lawrence O. Picus & Associates from 2000 to 2013, when it then became Picus Odden & Associates. As the developers of the Evidence-Based method for estimating the funding resources needed for all schools to provide every student an equal opportunity to perform at high levels, Picus Odden & Associates offers the skill and knowledge needed to help states, districts and schools identify the level and type of resources and educational strategies needed to dramatically increase student academic achievement. Since 2000, the firm has conducted school finance studies in several states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Texas.
Our model is the basis of the funding systems in Arkansas, Wyoming, Washington, North Dakota and Ohio. We have also conducted equity studies in nearly 25 states, and researched the implementation and impact of school finance reforms in many other states. Both Odden and Picus have served as presidents of the Association for Education Finance and Policy (formerly the American Education Finance Association), a strong indication of the high quality of the firm’s work and reputation.
