Today, the very legitimacy of school boards is being called into question. When members represent narrow interests, board effectiveness suffers. In some localities reform of school governance is already under way. A widespread method of reform is school-based management. The entire state of Kentucky has reformed school governance in this way, as have many school districts, including Rochester, New York, and Miami, Florida.
Some districts contract out school management.
In Chelsea, Massachusetts, for example, the school system is run by Boston University. The charter school, a third model, is a sequel to the concept of school choice. A charter school is an entirely new school set up by a qualified group or institution. A responsible public body, such as a school board, officially sponsors the school, which must be free, open to all, and nonsectarian. California and Minnesota are two states experimenting with charter schools.