Education is unique among local public services with respect to its structure of governance. While most services are administered as part of the local general unit of government-town, county, village, township, or city-education is an exception. The typical pattern is the existence of an independent school district, separate from all other units of government, with the power to levy taxes for the support of elementary and secondary schools. Responsibility for governing this entity lies with an elected lay board of education. While other functions may occasionally be governed by a separate board or may operate out of a separate unit of government, education is the only one that is consistently divorced from the general purpose unit of local government in this way;

The public also has a greater and more direct role in the governance of education than in any other service. Not only are school board members elected, but school taxes and bond issues are also voted on in many places. However, lay control over education is considerably less than it was in the early days of the Republic, when there were no professional administrators. The increasing size and complexity of education led first to the development of principals  and then superintendents to run schools and school districts.

It must be remembered, however, that local school diIt must be remembered, however, that local school districts do not have a life of their own apart from the dictates of the state. School districts are created to serve the state in fulfilling its responsibility for public education. They derive their authority from the state, and their existence, structure, power, organization, and even boundaries are subject to state dictates and regulation. While states have delegated much of the management and operation of the schools to local school districts, they can reclaim or change those powers if and when they choose. Thus, school districts are creatures of the state, and school board members are state agents, although they have a dual role, serving their local constituents as well