A "percentile" shows how a single school system may be compared to all other school systems in the county. 99 is the highest percentile and 1 is the lowest percentile.

Percentiles representing a school characteristic such as test scores (ACT or SAT, etc.) are developed by arranging the average test scores from all school systems in the county (15,890) from lowest to highest. Then these 15,890 school systems are placed into 99 separate groups (about 160 per group) from lowest to highest. Each group represents one percentile. In this way any school system can be compared on the same characteristic to all other school systems in the country.

For example, a percentile of 99 in the area of test scores for one school system may be compared to a test score percentile of 1 for another school system. This means that the school system in the 99^th percentile is among the top 160 school systems in the country on test scores whereas the school system in the 1^st percentile is in the bottom 160 school systems in the country. "Top" or "bottom" do not necessarily mean "good" or "bad." For example, parents may want high test scores but low pupil/teacher ratios.

The percent of families living in poverty within a community can affect the programs offered within a school system, as well as have an impact on the allotment of funds that may be available for various activities and services.

For some parents, a record of high scores on national college entrance examinations is a great advantage. They may like the highly competitive atmosphere that is sometimes part of such a school system. Other parents have found equally high quality education in school systems that do not boast extremely high test scores.

A large number of students in a single school building may mean a greater breadth of course offerings, extracurricular activities, and choice of teachers. On the other hand, what is gained in breadth and diversity may be lost in personalized instruction and individual attention. Be sure not to confuse school building size with school system size, which has its own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages.

Educational experts differ on the importance of class size to educational quality. However, many parents feel that a low pupil/teacher ratio leads to more personalized instruction. Others prefer the opportunities for greater diversity and more competition that larger classes may provide.

Although the size of a school system may not have as direct an effect on the students’ well-being as the size of an individual school, it can have some impact. A larger school system may be better able to afford more specialized programs, including fine arts, vocational training, and special athletic programs. In a smaller school system parents may have a greater say in the policy decisions of school administrators and board members.

While there is no direct correlation between the amount of money a school system spends and the quality of its education, many parents prefer a system that has money to spend. You may also want to consider how various school systems divide their budgets. School Systems generally divide their expenditures among the following areas: pupil instruction, teacher salaries, library/media services, school building/facilities, guidance and counseling, vocational and technical education. Your educational priorities will help you decide where you feel a school system should spend its money.

A large tax base means a community has more money available to support the schools. Affluent communities generally have a larger tax base, but so do communities with large numbers of taxpayers. Other communities collect taxes from large corporations or industries, leading to a larger tax base with less of a tax burden on individual taxpayers.

School systems usually strive to keep teacher salaries in line with school system growth and national economy. Some may provide salary incentives or merit raises for successful performance, while others may base teacher salaries on length of service and academic credentials, or some combination of these approaches.