Types of school districts in New York State

On Board Online • December 17, 2012

There are 705 operating school districts and 37 BOCES in New York:

Common School Districts
In existence since 1812, common school districts do not have the legal authority to operate a high school. They are governed by either a sole trustee or a board of trustees comprising three members. Nine are still in operation.

Union Free School District
Since 1853, common school districts have been able to combine as union free school districts and provide a high school. There are 75 union free school districts plus 10 “special act” schools.

Union free school districts are governed by a board of education composed of between three and nine members who serve three-, four- or five-year terms.

Central School Districts
Since 1925 central school districts have been formed by combining any number of common, union free or central school districts. A central school district can be viewed as a variation of a union free district. A central school district’s board of education may consist of three, seven, or nine members serving terms of three to five years. There are 266 central districts, plus 280 categorized as “independent union free” or “independent central.”

City School Districts
There are two types of city school district organizations; one applies to cities under 125,000 in population and the other to cities over 125,000. School districts in the 57 cities under 125,000 population are separate governmental units, each with its own board of education and independent taxing and debt-incurring power. All of these city school districts have an elected board of education. Many of these city districts cover a larger geographic area than the city and are referred to as “enlarged city school districts,” although seven were reorganized as “central city school districts.” In the “Big 5” cities over 125,000 population, education is a part of city government. Members of the school boards in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are elected while members of the Yonkers and New York City boards are appointed by the mayor.

Central High School Districts
Authorized in 1917, three central high school districts operate, all in Nassau County.

BOCES
There are 37 regional education providers run by Boards of Cooperative Educational Services.

Source: State Education Department