The Cleveland Public Schools began decentralizing in 1980, and by 1992, all functions had been decentralized to the school level. For example, the position of director of local school budgeting was eliminated after principals gained sufficient budgeting experience. Parents must make up the majority of an LSC's membership, which also includes the school principal and teachers. The racial and ethnic composition of the LSCs is determined by the document School Attendance Report - by School, Cluster, and the District. These clusters consist of elementary, junior high, and high schools.
Students typically remain within the same cluster throughout their school years.
Six area superintendents, each of whom are responsible for one cluster, report directly to the deputy superintendent. This district council addresses local concerns through a clusterwide approach. The rationale behind Cleveland's decentralization effort was to increase decision-making authority at the local school level in order to improve student outcomes. The effort was supported by a combination of community pressure, court-ordered decentralization, and widespread recognition that the current system could no longer be managed centrally. Nor were Cleveland educators adverse to change.