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{{Education gen nav sm}}{{tnr}}A '''public school district''' is a geographical unit for the local administration of elementary or secondary schools. It is a special-purpose government entity that can be administered independently or be dependent on the local government, such as a city or county.<ref name=definitions>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/commonfiles/glossary.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics,'' "School and District Glossary," accessed February 13, 2014]</ref> There are approximately 13,800 public school districts in the United States. These districts collectively educate approximately 55.2 million students.<ref>[http://www.edreform.com/2012/04/k-12-facts/ ''Center for Education Reform,'' "K-12 Facts," accessed February 13, 2014]</ref>
{{Education policy vnt}}{{tnr}}
 
A '''[[List of school districts in the United States|public school district]]''' is a geographical unit for the local administration of elementary or secondary schools. It is a special-purpose government entity that can be administered independently or be dependent on the local government, such as a city or county.<ref name=gloss/> Most public school districts are governed by locally elected [[School board|school board members]] who [[#elections|run in elections]]. A small number are [[Rules governing party labels in school board elections|governed by appointed school board members]] or a combination of appointed and elected members.<ref>[https://www.edweek.org/leadership/a-fading-school-reform-mayoral-control-is-ending-in-another-city/2023/06 ''Education Week'', "A Fading School Reform? Mayoral Control Is Ending in Another City," June 27, 2023]</ref>
 
{{#section:Largest school districts in the United States by enrollment|topline}}
 
Click a link below to explore more:
*[[#Organization|School district organization]]
*[[#Superintendent|Superintendent]]
*[[#Types|Types of school districts]]
*[[#Funding|How districts are funded]]
*[[#Top 100 U.S. school districts by enrollment|Largest districts by enrollment]]
*[[#Elections|School board elections]]
*[[#Subscribe to Hall Pass to stay up to date on school board politics and education policy|School board elections and eduction policy newsletter]]


==Organization==
==Organization==
In most school districts, the [[School board|school board]] is the top of the organizational hierarchy. The board provides oversight and governance for a district and its schools. Below the school board is the superintendent of schools, followed by executive officials or assistant superintendents, who lead various departments within the district's bureaucracy. A school principal manages the daily operations of a given school and reports to the district's superintendent.
In most school districts, the [[School board|school board]] is the top of the organizational hierarchy. The board provides oversight and governance for a district and its schools. Below the school board is the superintendent of schools, followed by executive officials or assistant superintendents, who lead various departments within the district's bureaucracy. A school principal manages the daily operations of a given school and reports to the district's superintendent.
This is the organizational chart for [[Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia|Atlanta Public Schools]] in [[Georgia]], demonstrating an example of a school district's organizational structure:
[[File:Screenshot 2025-08-26 at 4.03.33 PM.png|750px|link=School district]]


===Leadership===
===Leadership===
Line 11: Line 28:
====Superintendent====
====Superintendent====
Superintendent, chief education officer or chief executive officer are all titles given to the head administrative official of a school district. They provide administrative oversight of the students, public schools and educational services within their district. Superintendents are most often hired by the district's school board. In many states, superintendents also serve as non-voting members on the board. The superintendent is responsible for keeping the board informed of events and developments in the district and for making recommendations about changes to daily district operations.
Superintendent, chief education officer or chief executive officer are all titles given to the head administrative official of a school district. They provide administrative oversight of the students, public schools and educational services within their district. Superintendents are most often hired by the district's school board. In many states, superintendents also serve as non-voting members on the board. The superintendent is responsible for keeping the board informed of events and developments in the district and for making recommendations about changes to daily district operations.
===Example===
This is the organizational chart for [[Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia|Atlanta Public Schools]] in [[Georgia]], demonstrating an example of a school district's organizational structure:
[[File:APS organization chart.jpg|750px|link=School district]]


==Types==
==Types==
[[File:Map of Monroe County Pennsylvania School Districts.png|250px|thumb|right|School district maps in [[Monroe County, Pennsylvania]]|link=Public school district (United States)]]
===Consolidated school district===
===Consolidated school district===
A consolidated or reorganized school district indicates that it was formed from two or more districts.
A consolidated or reorganized school district indicates that it was formed from two or more districts.


===Elementary school district===
===Elementary school district===
Elementary school districts educate students who are at lower grade or age levels.  
Elementary school districts educate students who are at lower grade or age levels.<ref name=gloss>[https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/glossary ''National Center for Education Statistics'', "Glossary," accessed September 19, 2025]</ref>


===Independent school district===
===Independent school district===
Independent school districts can take different forms depending on the state. In [[Texas school districts|Texas]], independent denotes that the district is separate from any county or municipal-level entity. Similarly, in [[Kentucky school districts|Kentucky]], independent districts are separate from county districts. In [[Minnesota school districts|Minnesota]], independent denotes any school district created since July 1, 1957.<ref>[https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=120A.05 ''The Office of Reservoir of Statutes,'' "2013 Minnesota Statutes," accessed February 13, 2014]</ref>
Independent school districts can take different forms depending on the state. In [[Texas school districts|Texas]], independent denotes that the district is separate from any county or municipal-level entity.<ref>[https://www.kxan.com/news/education/what-the-heck-is-an-isd-a-texas-transplants-guide-to-how-schools-in-texas-are-run/ ''KXAN'', "What the heck is an ISD? A Texas transplant’s guide to how schools in Texas are run," September 19, 2025]</ref> Similarly, in [[Kentucky school districts|Kentucky]], independent districts are separate from county districts.<ref>[https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/lrc/publications/ResearchReports/RR415.pdf ''Kentucky Legislative Research Commission'', "Kentucky's Independent School Districts: A Primer," September 15, 2015]</ref> In [[Minnesota school districts|Minnesota]], independent denotes any school district created since July 1, 1957.<ref>[https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=120A.05 ''The Office of Reservoir of Statutes,'' "2024 Minnesota Statutes," accessed September 19, 2025]</ref>


===Intermediate school district===
===Intermediate school district===
An intermediate school district is a government agency usually organized at the county or multi-county level that assists local school districts in providing programs and services. These districts operate outside the charter of a local school district. The exact role of these agencies varies by state.
An intermediate school district is a government agency usually organized at the county or multi-county level that assists local school districts in providing programs and services. These districts operate outside the charter of a local school district. The exact role of these agencies varies by state.<ref>[https://www.mackinac.org/2709 ''Mackinac Center for Public Policy'', "What Are Intermediate School Districts?" February 10, 2000]</ref><ref>[https://www.sccresa.org/page/frequently-asked-questions ''St. Clair County RESA'', "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed September 19, 2025]</ref>


===Joint school district===
===Joint school district===
A joint school district denotes that the district includes territory from more than one county. A joint state school district means that the district includes territory from more than one state.
A joint school district denotes that the district includes territory from more than one county.<ref>[https://edsource.org/glossary/joint-school-districts ''EdSource'', "Joint School Districts," accessed September 19, 2025]</ref>


===Secondary school district===
===Secondary school district===
Secondary school districts educate students who are at higher grade or age levels. These are also known as high school districts.  
Secondary school districts educate students who are at higher grade or age levels. These are also known as high school districts.<ref>[https://www.edsmart.org/what-is-secondary-school/ ''EDsmart'', "What is Secondary School and How Does it Differ from High School?" accessed September 19, 2025]</ref>


===Traditional school district===
===Traditional school district===
A traditional school district is an agency responsible for providing free public education for school-age children residing within its jurisdiction. This category excludes local supervisory unions that provide management services for a group of associated school districts; regional education service agencies that typically provide school districts with research, testing and data processing services; state and federally operated school districts; and other agencies that do not fall into these groupings.<ref name=glossary>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/pesagencies10/glossary.asp ''National Center for Education Statistics,'' "Glossary," accessed February 13, 2014]</ref>
A traditional school district is an agency responsible for providing free public education for school-age children residing within its jurisdiction. This category excludes local supervisory unions that provide management services for a group of associated school districts; regional education service agencies that typically provide school districts with research, testing and data processing services; state and federally operated school districts; and other agencies that do not fall into these groupings.<ref name=gloss/>


===Unified school district===
===Unified school district===
A unified school district is a district that provides both elementary and secondary education services and instruction.<ref name=glossary/>
A unified school district is a district that provides both elementary and secondary education services and instruction.<ref name=gloss/>


==Funding==
==Funding==
Federal, state and local governments contribute to the funding of school districts in the United States. States typically provide about 43 percent of all elementary and secondary education funding. Local governments generally contribute about 44 percent of the total and the federal government contributes about 13 percent of all direct expenditures. Historically, elementary and secondary education was funded largely by local governments, but in the 1970s state education spending began to overtake local education spending.<ref name=finance>[http://febp.newamerica.net/background-analysis/school-finance ''New America Foundation,'' "Federal Education Budget Project," accessed February 13, 2014]</ref>
Federal, state, and local governments contribute to elementary and secondary public school funding. In 2023, all three levels of government spent roughly $900 billion on K-12 public education.<ref name=funding/> That year, states provided roughly 45%, local governments contributed 43%, and the federal government contributed 13%.<ref name=funding>[https://www.pgpf.org/article/how-is-k-12-education-funded/ ''Peter G. Peterson Foundation'', "How Is K-12 Education Funded?" July 22, 2025]</ref> Historically, elementary and secondary education was funded largely by local governments, but that began to change in the 1970s as states increased their education expenditures.<ref name=finance>[https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/topics/school-funding-and-resources/school-funding/ ''New America Foundation'', "School Funding," accessed August 26, 2025]</ref>


===Federal funding===
===Federal funding===
The federal government spends more than $40 billion annually on primary and secondary education programs. Much of the funding is discretionary, meaning it is set by [[United States Congress|Congress]] annually. Funding flows primarily through the [[U.S. Department of Education]], although other federal agencies administer some funding for education related activities.<ref name=finance/>
The federal government spent more than $100 billion annually on primary and secondary education programs in 2023.<ref name=funding/> Much of funding was discretionary, meaning [[United States Congress|Congress]] determined the amount on an annual basis. Funding flowed primarily through the [[U.S. Department of Education]], although other federal agencies administered some funding for education related activities.<ref name=finance/>


===State funding===
===State funding===
States rely primarily on income and sales taxes to fund public education. State legislatures generally determine the level and distribution of funding by following rules and procedures that vary among states. Most states use funding formulas based on student enrollment to determine the allocation of funding for a district. In addition to enrollment figures, some formulas also include additional variables, such as the number of students with disabilities, the number of students living in poverty or the number of students for whom English is a second language.<ref name=finance/>
States relied primarily on income and sales taxes to fund public education. State legislatures generally determined the level and distribution of funding by following rules and procedures that vary among states. Most states used [[Public school funding formulas in the states|funding formulas]] based on student enrollment to determine district funding allocations. In addition to enrollment figures, some formulas also included additional variables, such as the number of students with disabilities, the number of students living in poverty, or the number of students for whom English is a second language.<ref name=finance/>


===Local funding===
===Local funding===
Local governments rely on property taxes to support most of public education funding.  Local governments collect taxes from residential and commercial properties as a direct revenue source for the school district. Property-rich areas tend to collect more in property taxes. Although poorer communities may use higher tax rates to compensate for the smaller property tax base, they still tend to raise less revenue for their local school districts than wealthier communities.<ref name=finance/>
Local governments relied on property taxes to support most of public education funding.  Local governments collected taxes from residential and commercial properties as a direct revenue source for the school district.<ref name=finance/><ref name=funding/>


==Top 100 U.S. school districts by enrollment==
==Top 100 U.S. school districts by enrollment==
{| class="sortable collapsible" style="background:none; text-align: center;"
 
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" |'' Largest school districts by enrollment, 2012-2013<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx ''National Center for Education Statistics,'' "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 16, 2015]</ref>
<datatable caption="Largest school districts by enrollment, 2022-2023">
! District
! State
! Student enrollment
|-
|-
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | District
| [[New York City Department of Education, New York|New York City Department of Education]] || New York || 938,189
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | Student enrollment
|-
|-
| [[New York City Department of Education, New York]]||989,387
| [[Los Angeles Unified School District, California|Los Angeles Unified School District]] || California || 427,795
|-
|-
| [[Los Angeles Unified School District, California]]||655,455
| [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida|Miami-Dade County Public Schools]] || Florida || 334,090
|-
|-
| [[Chicago Public Schools, Illinois]]||395,984
| [[Chicago Public Schools, Illinois|Chicago Public Schools]] || Illinois || 321,666
|-
|-
| [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida]]||354,262
| [[Clark County School District, Nevada|Clark County School District]] || Nevada || 309,787
|-
|-
| [[Clark County School District, Nevada]]||316,778
| [[Broward County Public Schools, Florida|Broward County Public Schools]] || Florida || 254,732
|-
|-
| [[Broward County Public Schools, Florida]]||260,226
| [[Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida|Hillsborough County Public Schools]] || Florida || 224,538
|-
|-
| [[Houston Independent School District, Texas]]||203,354
| [[Orange County Public Schools, Florida|Orange County Public Schools]] || Florida || 207,561
|-
|-
| [[Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida]]||200,466
| [[Houston Independent School District, Texas|Houston Independent School District]] || Texas || 189,934
|-
|-
| [[Hawaii State Department of Education]]||184,760
| [[School District of Palm Beach County, Florida|School District of Palm Beach County]] || Florida || 188,843
|-
|-
| [[Orange County Public Schools, Florida]]||183,066
| [[Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia|Gwinnett County Public Schools]] || Georgia || 181,814
|-
|-
| [[Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia]]||180,616
| [[Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia|Fairfax County Public Schools]] || Virginia || 179,858
|-
|-
| [[Palm Beach County School District, Florida]]||179,514
| [[Hawaii State Department of Education|Hawaii State Department of Education]] || Hawaii || 170,209
|-
|-
| [[Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia]]||164,976
| [[Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland|Montgomery County Public Schools]] || Maryland || 160,554
|-
|-
| [[Dallas Independent School District, Texas]]||158,932
| [[Wake County Public School System, North Carolina|Wake County Public School System]] || North Carolina || 159,778
|-
|-
| [[Shelby County School District, Tennessee]]||154,146
| [[Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina|Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools]] || North Carolina || 144,197
|-
|-
| [[Wake County Public School System, North Carolina]]||150,956
| [[Dallas Independent School District, Texas|Dallas Independent School District]] || Texas || 141,169
|-
|-
| [[Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland]]||148,780
| [[Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland|Prince George's County Public Schools]] || Maryland || 131,133
|-
|-
| [[Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina]]||144,478
| [[Duval County Public Schools, Florida|Duval County Public Schools]] || Florida || 128,657
|-
|-
| [[School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]||143,898
| [[School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|School District of Philadelphia]] || Pennsylvania || 118,335
|-
|-
| [[San Diego Unified School District, California]]||130,271
| [[Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Texas|Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District]] || Texas || 118,010
|-
|-
| [[Duval County Public Schools, Florida]]||125,686
| [[Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland|Baltimore County Public Schools]] || Maryland || 111,082
|-
|-
| [[Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland]]||123,737
| [[Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee|Memphis-Shelby County Schools]] || Tennessee || 109,797
|-
|-
| [[Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Texas]]||110,013
| [[Polk County Public Schools, Florida|Polk County Public Schools]] || Florida || 109,558
|-
|-
| [[Cobb County School District, Georgia]]||108,452
| [[Cobb County School District, Georgia|Cobb County School District]] || Georgia || 106,703
|-
|-
| [[Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland]]||106,927
| [[Northside Independent School District (Bexar County), Texas|Northside Independent School District (Bexar County)]] || Texas || 102,719
|-
|-
| [[Pinellas County Schools, Florida]]||103,590
| [[School District of Lee County, Florida|School District of Lee County]] || Florida || 99,354
|-
|-
| [[Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky]]||100,316
| [[Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky|Jefferson County Public Schools]] || Kentucky || 95,230
|-
|-
| [[Northside Independent School District, Texas]]||100,159
| [[San Diego Unified School District, California|San Diego Unified School District]] || California || 93,893
|-
|-
| [[DeKalb County School District, Georgia]]||98,910
| [[Pinellas County Schools, Florida|Pinellas County Schools]] || Florida || 93,702
|-
|-
| [[Polk County Public Schools, Florida]]||96,937
| [[Katy Independent School District, Texas|Katy Independent School District]] || Texas || 92,667
|-
|-
| [[Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico]]||94,083
| [[DeKalb County School District, Georgia|DeKalb County School District]] || Georgia || 92,368
|-
|-
| [[Fulton County Schools, Georgia]]||93,907
| [[Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia|Prince William County Public Schools]] || Virginia || 91,101
|-
|-
| [[Austin Independent School District, Texas]]||86,516
| [[Fulton County Schools, Georgia|Fulton County Schools]] || Georgia || 89,935
|-
|-
| [[Lee County School District, Florida]]||85,765
| [[Denver Public Schools, Colorado|Denver Public Schools]] || Colorado || 87,883
|-
|-
| [[Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado]]||85,542
| [[Alpine School District, Utah|Alpine School District]] || Utah || 87,136
|-
|-
| [[Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland]]||84,747
| [[Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland|Anne Arundel County Public Schools]] || Maryland || 84,452
|-
|-
| [[Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia]]||83,865
| [[Pasco County Schools, Florida|Pasco County Schools]] || Florida || 84,049
|-
|-
| [[Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas]]||83,503
| [[Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia|Loudoun County Public Schools]] || Virginia || 81,678
|-
|-
| [[Denver Public Schools, Colorado]]||83,377
| [[Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee|Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools]] || Tennessee || 80,651
|-
|-
| [[Long Beach Unified School District, California]]||82,256
| [[Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico|Albuquerque Public Schools]] || New Mexico || 79,805
|-
|-
| [[Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee]]||81,134
| [[Fort Bend Independent School District, Texas|Fort Bend Independent School District]] || Texas || 79,660
|-
|-
| [[Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin]]||78,363
| [[Greenville County School District, South Carolina|Greenville County School District]] || South Carolina || 77,978
|-
|-
| [[Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland]]||77,770
| [[Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland|Baltimore City Public School System]] || Maryland || 75,995
|-
|-
| [[Guilford County Schools, North Carolina]]||74,161
| [[Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado|Jeffco Public Schools]] || Colorado || 75,327
|-
|-
| [[Fresno Unified School District, California]]||73,689
| [[Brevard Public Schools, Florida|Brevard Public Schools]] || Florida || 74,125
|-
|-
| [[Greenville County School District, South Carolina]]||73,649
| [[School District of Osceola County, Florida|School District of Osceola County]] || Florida || 73,558
|-
|-
| [[Alpine School District, Utah]]||72,452
| [[Davis School District, Utah|Davis School District]] || Utah || 73,459
|-
|-
| [[Brevard Public Schools, Florida]]||71,228
| [[Austin Independent School District, Texas|Austin Independent School District]] || Texas || 73,384
|-
|-
| [[Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia]]||70,259
| [[Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas|Fort Worth Independent School District]] || Texas || 72,783
|-
|-
| [[Davis School District, Utah]]||70,192
| [[Conroe Independent School District, Texas|Conroe Independent School District]] || Texas || 70,783
|-
|-
| [[Fort Bend Independent School District, Texas]]||69,591
| [[Fresno Unified School District, California|Fresno Unified School District]] || California || 69,668
|-
|-
| [[Granite School District, Utah]]||69,312
| [[Guilford County Schools, North Carolina|Guilford County Schools]] || North Carolina || 68,894
|-
|-
| [[Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia]]||68,205
| [[Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin|Milwaukee Public Schools]] || Wisconsin || 67,500
|-
|-
| [[North East Independent School District, Texas]]||67,901
| [[Frisco Independent School District, Texas|Frisco Independent School District]] || Texas || 66,916
|-
|-
| [[Pasco County Schools, Florida]]||67,153
| [[Seminole County Public Schools, Florida|Seminole County Public Schools]] || Florida || 66,680
|-
|-
| [[Aldine Independent School District, Texas]]||65,684
| [[Long Beach Unified School District, California|Long Beach Unified School District]] || California || 65,554
|-
|-
| [[Arlington Independent School District, Texas]]||65,001
| [[Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia|Virginia Beach City Public Schools]] || Virginia || 65,456
|-
|-
| [[Washoe County School District, Nevada]]||64,995
| [[Washoe County School District, Nevada|Washoe County School District]] || Nevada || 64,443
|-
|-
| [[Douglas County School District, Colorado]]||64,657
| [[Chesterfield County Public Schools, Virginia|Chesterfield County Public Schools]] || Virginia || 63,916
|-
|-
| [[Katy Independent School District, Texas]]||64,562
| [[Volusia County Schools, Florida|Volusia County Schools]] || Florida || 63,365
|-
|-
| [[Seminole County Public Schools, Florida]]||64,463
| [[Douglas County School District, Colorado|Douglas County School District]] || Colorado || 62,341
|-
|-
| [[Mesa Public Schools, Arizona]]||64,161
| [[Elk Grove Unified School District, California|Elk Grove Unified School District]] || California || 62,061
|-
|-
| [[El Paso Independent School District, Texas]]||63,210
| [[Granite School District, Utah|Granite School District]] || Utah || 61,197
|-
|-
| [[Elk Grove Unified School District, California]]||62,137
| [[Knox County Schools, Tennessee|Knox County Schools]] || Tennessee || 60,609
|-
|-
| [[Volusia County Schools, Florida]]||61,064
| [[Aldine Independent School District, Texas|Aldine Independent School District]] || Texas || 60,074
|-
|-
| [[Knox County Schools, Tennessee]]||58,929
| [[Jordan School District, Utah|Jordan School District]] || Utah || 59,421
|-
|-
| [[Chesterfield County Public Schools, Virginia]]||58,859
| [[North East Independent School District, Texas|North East Independent School District]] || Texas || 59,007
|-
|-
| [[Mobile County Public Schools, Alabama]]||58,625
| [[Mesa Public Schools, Arizona|Mesa Public Schools]] || Arizona || 58,343
|-
|-
| [[Garland Independent School District, Texas]]||58,059
| [[Howard County Public Schools, Maryland|Howard County Public Schools]] || Maryland || 57,676
|-
|-
| [[Santa Ana Unified School District, California]]||57,410
| [[Arlington Independent School District, Texas|Arlington Independent School District]] || Texas || 56,167
|-
|-
| [[San Francisco Unified School District, California]]||56,970
| [[Forsyth County Schools, Georgia|Forsyth County Schools]] || Georgia || 54,077
|-
|-
| [[Osceola County School District, Florida]]||56,411
| [[Klein Independent School District, Texas|Klein Independent School District]] || Texas || 53,712
|-
|-
| [[Plano Independent School District, Texas]]||55,185
| [[Garland Independent School District, Texas|Garland Independent School District]] || Texas || 52,767
|-
|-
| [[Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts]]||55,114
| [[Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina|Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools]] || North Carolina || 52,717
|-
|-
| [[San Antonio Independent School District, Texas]]||54,268
| [[Cherry Creek School District, Colorado|Cherry Creek School District]] || Colorado || 52,392
|-
|-
| [[San Bernardino City Unified School District, California]]||54,102
| [[Clayton County Public Schools, Georgia|Clayton County Public Schools]] || Georgia || 52,186
|-
|-
| [[Conroe Independent School District, Texas]]||53,934
| [[Mobile County Public Schools, Alabama|Mobile County Public Schools]] || Alabama || 51,979
|-
|-
| [[Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina]]||53,881
| [[Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska|Omaha Public Schools]] || Nebraska || 51,754
|-
|-
| [[Capistrano Unified School District, California]]||53,785
| [[Seattle Public Schools, Washington|Seattle Public Schools]] || Washington || 51,238
|-
|-
| [[Pasadena Independent School District, Texas]]||53,665
| [[School District of Manatee County, Florida|School District of Manatee County]] || Florida || 51,234
|-
|-
| [[Corona-Norco Unified School District, California]]||53,437
| [[Corona-Norco Unified School District, California|Corona-Norco Unified School District]] || California || 50,790
|-
|-
| [[Cherry Creek School District, Colorado]]||53,422
| [[Rutherford County Schools, Tennessee|Rutherford County Schools]] || Tennessee || 50,707
|-
|-
| [[Cumberland County Schools, North Carolina]]||52,925
| [[Jefferson Parish Public School System, Louisiana|Jefferson Parish Public School System]] || Louisiana || 50,628
|-
|-
| [[Lewisville Independent School District, Texas]]||52,528
| [[Henrico County Public Schools, Virginia|Henrico County Public Schools]] || Virginia || 50,389
|-
|-
| [[Jordan School District, Utah]]||52,481
| [[Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia|Atlanta Public Schools]] || Georgia || 50,325
|-
|-
| [[Howard County Public Schools, Maryland]]||52,053
| [[St. Johns County School District, Florida|St. Johns County School District]] || Florida || 50,155
|-
|-
| [[Clayton County Public Schools, Georgia]]||51,757
| [[El Paso Independent School District, Texas|El Paso Independent School District]] || Texas || 50,031
|-
|-
| [[Tucson Unified School District, Arizona]]||50,771
| [[Charleston County School District, South Carolina|Charleston County School District]] || South Carolina || 49,929
|-
|-
| [[Seattle Public Schools, Washington]]||50,655
| [[District of Columbia Public Schools]] || Dist. of Columbia || 49,687
|-
|-
| [[Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska]]||50,559
| [[Cumberland County Schools, North Carolina|Cumberland County Schools]] || North Carolina || 49,661
|-
|-
| [[Columbus City Schools, Ohio]]||50,384
| [[Lewisville Independent School District, Texas|Lewisville Independent School District]] || Texas || 49,060
|-
|-
| [[Wichita Public Schools, Kansas]]||50,339
| [[Plano Independent School District, Texas|Plano Independent School District]] || Texas || 48,921
|-
|-
| [[Henrico County Public Schools, Virginia]]||50,083
| [[San Francisco Unified School District, California|San Francisco Unified School District]] || California || 48,785
|-
|-
| [[Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia]]||49,558
| [[Humble Independent School District, Texas|Humble Independent School District]] || Texas || 48,758
|-
|-
| [[Detroit Public Schools, Michigan]]||49,239
| [[Pasadena Independent School District, Texas|Pasadena Independent School District]] || Texas || 48,726
|-
|-
| [[Brownsville Independent School District, Texas]]||49,190
| [[Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan|Detroit Public Schools Community District]] || Michigan || 48,548
|-
|-
| [[Anchorage School District, Alaska]]||48,790
| [[Collier County Public Schools, Florida|Collier County Public Schools]] || Florida || 48,082
|-
|-
| [[San Juan City Unified School District, California]]||47,752
| [[Socorro Independent School District, Texas|Socorro Independent School District]] || Texas || 47,843
|-
|-
| [[Sacramento City Unified School District, California]]||47,616
| [[Lake County Schools, Florida|Lake County Schools]] || Florida || 47,452
|-
</datatable>
| [[Garden Grove Unified School District, California]]||47,599
 
|}
==Elections==
::''See also: [[School Boards and School Board Elections]]''
The map below will take you to information on districts holding elections in the top 100 largest cities or one of the top 200 largest school districts in the country. Click a state to learn more. Check out our [[Sample Ballot Lookup|sample ballot lookup tool]] for school board election information in your district.
 
<center><div class="full-width py-4 bp-full-width-callout-container"><div class="bp-full-width-callout">
<p>
    ''Click on the map below to find school board elections {{Greener | start=11/4/2025 9:00pm CST | before=taking place|after=that took place}} in your state in 2025.''
</p>
<div style="width:650px; margin:0;text-align:center;"><BPmap url="https://ballotpedia.org/STATE_school_board_elections,_2025" width="600px" height="400px"></BPmap></div>
</div></div></center>
 
==Subscribe to ''Hall Pass'' to stay up to date on school board politics and education policy==
<small>[[File: Hall Pass - Gold.jpg|link=Ballotpedia's Hall Pass]]</small>
 
''Hall Pass'' is a weekly newsletter designed to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board politics and education policy. We bring you a roundup of the sharpest education commentary and research from across the political spectrum and the latest on school board elections and recall efforts.
 
Below are the three most recent editions:
{{#dpl:
|category = Hall Pass 2025
|namespace =
|include =
|format = ,\n*[[%PAGE%]]
|ordermethod = firstedit
|order = descending
|noresultsheader = ''Coming soon!''
|count=3
}}


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Portal:School Boards and School Board Elections|School board elections portal]]
*[[Education policy]]
*[[School Boards and School Board Elections|School board elections portal]]
*[[Largest school districts in the United States by enrollment]]
*[[Largest school districts in the United States by enrollment]]
*[[List of school districts in the United States]]
*[[List of school districts in the United States]]
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.ed.gov United States Department of Education]
*[http://www.ed.gov United States Department of Education]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://nces.ed.gov/ National Center for Educational Statistics]
*[https://nces.ed.gov/ National Center for Educational Statistics]


==References==
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


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[[Category:Terms and definitions]]
[[Category:Terms and definitions]]
[[Category:School terms]]
[[Category:School terms]]
[[Category:One-off pages, active]]

Latest revision as of 13:18, 22 September 2025

Education Policy
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Education policy topics
• Overview of trends in K-12 curricula development
• Impact of school choice on rural school districts
• Local school board authority across the 50 states
• State policies on cellphone use in K-12 public schools
• School choice in the United States
• School choice glossary

Other policy areas
Click here for coverage of other policy areas on Ballotpedia


A public school district is a geographical unit for the local administration of elementary or secondary schools. It is a special-purpose government entity that can be administered independently or be dependent on the local government, such as a city or county.[1] Most public school districts are governed by locally elected school board members who run in elections. A small number are governed by appointed school board members or a combination of appointed and elected members.[2]

During the 2023-2024 school year, there were 13,303 public school districts.[3] These school districts enrolled 49,516,361 students across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.[4]

Click a link below to explore more:

Organization

In most school districts, the school board is the top of the organizational hierarchy. The board provides oversight and governance for a district and its schools. Below the school board is the superintendent of schools, followed by executive officials or assistant superintendents, who lead various departments within the district's bureaucracy. A school principal manages the daily operations of a given school and reports to the district's superintendent.

This is the organizational chart for Atlanta Public Schools in Georgia, demonstrating an example of a school district's organizational structure:

Screenshot 2025-08-26 at 4.03.33 PM.png

Leadership

School board

See also: School board

Board of education, board of directors, school board or school committee are all titles given to the governing body of a school district. The authority of school boards differ among districts and states. School boards are responsible for the appointment and dismissal of the district superintendent, whom they delegate the routine operations of the district. Some school boards may have the authority to set and levy tax rates, recommend measures to a legislative body or be involved in personnel decisions.

Superintendent

Superintendent, chief education officer or chief executive officer are all titles given to the head administrative official of a school district. They provide administrative oversight of the students, public schools and educational services within their district. Superintendents are most often hired by the district's school board. In many states, superintendents also serve as non-voting members on the board. The superintendent is responsible for keeping the board informed of events and developments in the district and for making recommendations about changes to daily district operations.

Types

Consolidated school district

A consolidated or reorganized school district indicates that it was formed from two or more districts.

Elementary school district

Elementary school districts educate students who are at lower grade or age levels.[1]

Independent school district

Independent school districts can take different forms depending on the state. In Texas, independent denotes that the district is separate from any county or municipal-level entity.[5] Similarly, in Kentucky, independent districts are separate from county districts.[6] In Minnesota, independent denotes any school district created since July 1, 1957.[7]

Intermediate school district

An intermediate school district is a government agency usually organized at the county or multi-county level that assists local school districts in providing programs and services. These districts operate outside the charter of a local school district. The exact role of these agencies varies by state.[8][9]

Joint school district

A joint school district denotes that the district includes territory from more than one county.[10]

Secondary school district

Secondary school districts educate students who are at higher grade or age levels. These are also known as high school districts.[11]

Traditional school district

A traditional school district is an agency responsible for providing free public education for school-age children residing within its jurisdiction. This category excludes local supervisory unions that provide management services for a group of associated school districts; regional education service agencies that typically provide school districts with research, testing and data processing services; state and federally operated school districts; and other agencies that do not fall into these groupings.[1]

Unified school district

A unified school district is a district that provides both elementary and secondary education services and instruction.[1]

Funding

Federal, state, and local governments contribute to elementary and secondary public school funding. In 2023, all three levels of government spent roughly $900 billion on K-12 public education.[12] That year, states provided roughly 45%, local governments contributed 43%, and the federal government contributed 13%.[12] Historically, elementary and secondary education was funded largely by local governments, but that began to change in the 1970s as states increased their education expenditures.[13]

Federal funding

The federal government spent more than $100 billion annually on primary and secondary education programs in 2023.[12] Much of funding was discretionary, meaning Congress determined the amount on an annual basis. Funding flowed primarily through the U.S. Department of Education, although other federal agencies administered some funding for education related activities.[13]

State funding

States relied primarily on income and sales taxes to fund public education. State legislatures generally determined the level and distribution of funding by following rules and procedures that vary among states. Most states used funding formulas based on student enrollment to determine district funding allocations. In addition to enrollment figures, some formulas also included additional variables, such as the number of students with disabilities, the number of students living in poverty, or the number of students for whom English is a second language.[13]

Local funding

Local governments relied on property taxes to support most of public education funding. Local governments collected taxes from residential and commercial properties as a direct revenue source for the school district.[13][12]

Top 100 U.S. school districts by enrollment

Largest school districts by enrollment, 2022-2023
DistrictStateStudent enrollment
New York City Department of EducationNew York938,189
Los Angeles Unified School DistrictCalifornia427,795
Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsFlorida334,090
Chicago Public SchoolsIllinois321,666
Clark County School DistrictNevada309,787
Broward County Public SchoolsFlorida254,732
Hillsborough County Public SchoolsFlorida224,538
Orange County Public SchoolsFlorida207,561
Houston Independent School DistrictTexas189,934
School District of Palm Beach CountyFlorida188,843
Gwinnett County Public SchoolsGeorgia181,814
Fairfax County Public SchoolsVirginia179,858
Hawaii State Department of EducationHawaii170,209
Montgomery County Public SchoolsMaryland160,554
Wake County Public School SystemNorth Carolina159,778
Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsNorth Carolina144,197
Dallas Independent School DistrictTexas141,169
Prince George's County Public SchoolsMaryland131,133
Duval County Public SchoolsFlorida128,657
School District of PhiladelphiaPennsylvania118,335
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School DistrictTexas118,010
Baltimore County Public SchoolsMaryland111,082
Memphis-Shelby County SchoolsTennessee109,797
Polk County Public SchoolsFlorida109,558
Cobb County School DistrictGeorgia106,703
Northside Independent School District (Bexar County)Texas102,719
School District of Lee CountyFlorida99,354
Jefferson County Public SchoolsKentucky95,230
San Diego Unified School DistrictCalifornia93,893
Pinellas County SchoolsFlorida93,702
Katy Independent School DistrictTexas92,667
DeKalb County School DistrictGeorgia92,368
Prince William County Public SchoolsVirginia91,101
Fulton County SchoolsGeorgia89,935
Denver Public SchoolsColorado87,883
Alpine School DistrictUtah87,136
Anne Arundel County Public SchoolsMaryland84,452
Pasco County SchoolsFlorida84,049
Loudoun County Public SchoolsVirginia81,678
Metropolitan Nashville Public SchoolsTennessee80,651
Albuquerque Public SchoolsNew Mexico79,805
Fort Bend Independent School DistrictTexas79,660
Greenville County School DistrictSouth Carolina77,978
Baltimore City Public School SystemMaryland75,995
Jeffco Public SchoolsColorado75,327
Brevard Public SchoolsFlorida74,125
School District of Osceola CountyFlorida73,558
Davis School DistrictUtah73,459
Austin Independent School DistrictTexas73,384
Fort Worth Independent School DistrictTexas72,783
Conroe Independent School DistrictTexas70,783
Fresno Unified School DistrictCalifornia69,668
Guilford County SchoolsNorth Carolina68,894
Milwaukee Public SchoolsWisconsin67,500
Frisco Independent School DistrictTexas66,916
Seminole County Public SchoolsFlorida66,680
Long Beach Unified School DistrictCalifornia65,554
Virginia Beach City Public SchoolsVirginia65,456
Washoe County School DistrictNevada64,443
Chesterfield County Public SchoolsVirginia63,916
Volusia County SchoolsFlorida63,365
Douglas County School DistrictColorado62,341
Elk Grove Unified School DistrictCalifornia62,061
Granite School DistrictUtah61,197
Knox County SchoolsTennessee60,609
Aldine Independent School DistrictTexas60,074
Jordan School DistrictUtah59,421
North East Independent School DistrictTexas59,007
Mesa Public SchoolsArizona58,343
Howard County Public SchoolsMaryland57,676
Arlington Independent School DistrictTexas56,167
Forsyth County SchoolsGeorgia54,077
Klein Independent School DistrictTexas53,712
Garland Independent School DistrictTexas52,767
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County SchoolsNorth Carolina52,717
Cherry Creek School DistrictColorado52,392
Clayton County Public SchoolsGeorgia52,186
Mobile County Public SchoolsAlabama51,979
Omaha Public SchoolsNebraska51,754
Seattle Public SchoolsWashington51,238
School District of Manatee CountyFlorida51,234
Corona-Norco Unified School DistrictCalifornia50,790
Rutherford County SchoolsTennessee50,707
Jefferson Parish Public School SystemLouisiana50,628
Henrico County Public SchoolsVirginia50,389
Atlanta Public SchoolsGeorgia50,325
St. Johns County School DistrictFlorida50,155
El Paso Independent School DistrictTexas50,031
Charleston County School DistrictSouth Carolina49,929
District of Columbia Public SchoolsDist. of Columbia49,687
Cumberland County SchoolsNorth Carolina49,661
Lewisville Independent School DistrictTexas49,060
Plano Independent School DistrictTexas48,921
San Francisco Unified School DistrictCalifornia48,785
Humble Independent School DistrictTexas48,758
Pasadena Independent School DistrictTexas48,726
Detroit Public Schools Community DistrictMichigan48,548
Collier County Public SchoolsFlorida48,082
Socorro Independent School DistrictTexas47,843
Lake County SchoolsFlorida47,452

Elections

See also: School Boards and School Board Elections

The map below will take you to information on districts holding elections in the top 100 largest cities or one of the top 200 largest school districts in the country. Click a state to learn more. Check out our sample ballot lookup tool for school board election information in your district.

Click on the map below to find school board elections that took place in your state in 2025.

https://ballotpedia.org/STATE_school_board_elections,_2025

Subscribe to Hall Pass to stay up to date on school board politics and education policy

Hall Pass - Gold.jpg

Hall Pass is a weekly newsletter designed to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board politics and education policy. We bring you a roundup of the sharpest education commentary and research from across the political spectrum and the latest on school board elections and recall efforts.

Below are the three most recent editions:

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 National Center for Education Statistics, "Glossary," accessed September 19, 2025
  2. ↑ Education Week, "A Fading School Reform? Mayoral Control Is Ending in Another City," June 27, 2023
  3. ↑ The Institute of Education Sciences, "NCES Data Show Public School Enrollment Held Steady Overall From Fall 2022 to Fall 2023," December 05, 2024
  4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by region, state, and jurisdiction: Selected years, fall 1990 through fall 2023," accessed December 17, 2025
  5. ↑ KXAN, "What the heck is an ISD? A Texas transplant’s guide to how schools in Texas are run," September 19, 2025
  6. ↑ Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, "Kentucky's Independent School Districts: A Primer," September 15, 2015
  7. ↑ The Office of Reservoir of Statutes, "2024 Minnesota Statutes," accessed September 19, 2025
  8. ↑ Mackinac Center for Public Policy, "What Are Intermediate School Districts?" February 10, 2000
  9. ↑ St. Clair County RESA, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed September 19, 2025
  10. ↑ EdSource, "Joint School Districts," accessed September 19, 2025
  11. ↑ EDsmart, "What is Secondary School and How Does it Differ from High School?" accessed September 19, 2025
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Peter G. Peterson Foundation, "How Is K-12 Education Funded?" July 22, 2025
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 New America Foundation, "School Funding," accessed August 26, 2025
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