School division
Aschool divisionis a geographic division over which aschool boardhas jurisdiction.
Canada
[edit]In Canada the term is used for the area controlled by a school board and is used interchangeably withschool district,including in the formal name of the board. For example, seeList of Alberta school boards.
United States
[edit]In theU.S. stateofVirginia,the State Board of Education is charged under§ 22.1-25of theCode of Virginiawith dividing the state into school divisions. A school division is typically coextensive with acountyorindependent city,although it is also possible for a school division to comprise a city and a neighboring county (e.g.,WilliamsburgandJames City County) or a singletown(e.g.,West Point).
Although the term "school district" is popularly used, a school division in Virginia differs from aschool districtin most states in the following key respect. Unlike school districts in most states, a Virginia school division is not a separatelocal government,but instead depends on appropriations and budget approvals from its associated general-purpose local government or governments (county, city, town). Legally, it is apolitical subdivisionof the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Virginia statute authorizes a school division to contract with a neighboring school division for school functions. One example of such an arrangement is in Northern Virginia, where theCity of Fairfaxhas contracted with surroundingFairfax Countyto run the schools owned by the city (seeFairfax County Public Schools).