A number of school districts across the country are state-controlled. The following sampling provides a snapshot of how those districts are now governed.
Cleveland
Students: 72,000
1995-96 budget: $528 million
Takeover: March 1995
Governance: Under a federal court order, the state runs the district through an appointed superintendent. The seven-member elected school board has little authority.
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Compton, Calif.
Students: 28,000
1995-96 budget: $149 million
Takeover: July 1993
Governance: A state-appointed administrator assumed the powers of the school board and the district’s personnel commission, supervising the district superintendent. The seven-member elected school board operates in an advisory capacity only.
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East St. Louis, Ill.
Students: 13,000
1995-96 budget: $73.6 million
Takeover: October 1994
Governance: A three-member state-appointed panel must approve all expenditures authorized by the seven-member elected school board. A judge recently reinstated the board after the state attempted to remove its members.
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Jersey City, N.J.
Students: 32,000
1995-96 budget: $269 million Takeover: October 1989
Governance: A state-appointed superintendent operates the district. The nine-member school board can vote on curricular, legal, and fiscal matters, but the superintendent can override the board’s actions.
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Letcher County, Ky.
Students: 4,200
1995-96 budget: $21.5 million
Takeover: June 1994
Governance: A state-appointed management team oversees the district’s day-to-day operations. The state education commissioner can override actions of the five-member elected school board or initiate actions if the board fails to meet its obligations.
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Logan County, W.Va.
Students: 7,500
1995-96 budget: $55.6 million
Takeover: August 1992
Governance: A state-appointed superintendent operates the district, reporting directly to the state education chief. The state recently returned limited fiscal powers to the five-member school board.
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Newark, N.J.
Students: 46,500
1995-96 budget: $488 million Takeover: July 1995
Governance: A state-appointed superintendent has full control of the district’s operations. A 15-member school board appointed mostly by the state operates in an advisory capacity only.
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Paterson, N.J.
Students: 23,500
1995-96 budget: $218 million
Takeover: August 1991
Governance: A state-appointed superintendent operates the district. The nine-member school board can vote on curricular, legal, and fiscal matters, but its actions can be overridden by the superintendent.
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Roosevelt, N.Y.
Students: 2,800
1995-96 budget: $32 million
Takeover: January 1996
Governance: A three-member state panel appoints and supervises an executive administrator, who implements the state’s corrective-action plan working with the local superintendent. The elected five-member school board has little authority.
