A school district is the local unit of government that runs public schools, and it is usually the level where decisions about classroom AI tools, teacher training, and student data agreements are made. The 2022 Census of Governments counted 12,546 independent school districts in the United States, and Ontario organizes its publicly funded schools into 72 district school boards. National surveys show districts moving faster on teacher training than on written guidance for students.
Key takeaways
- The United States had 13,859 public school systems in 2022, of which 12,546 were independent school districts counted as separate governments.
- Ontario has 72 district school boards in four systems, plus 10 school authorities, serving about 2.1 million students in 2024-25.
- RAND found that roughly half of US districts trained teachers on generative AI by fall 2024, about twice the share a year earlier.
- In 2023-24, only 18 percent of principals who used AI said their school or district gave guidance on it.
- No source reviewed measures whether district-level AI decisions produce better outcomes than school-level ones.
What a district or board is
In the United States, the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counted 13,859 public school systems. Of these, 12,546 were independent school districts, which count as governments of their own, and the other 1,313 were dependent systems that belong to a county, city, or state government. Rules differ by state, so districts in different states do not all have the same powers.
In Canada, education is a provincial responsibility. Ontario's education facts page says a school board oversees all the schools within its jurisdiction and lists 72 district school boards: 31 English public, 29 English Catholic, four French public, and eight French Catholic. Ten school authorities serve children in treatment facilities and remote or minority separate school communities. For the 2024-25 school year the province reported 2.1 million students and 4,861 schools. Other provinces use their own structures, which this article does not cover.
What districts have actually done about AI
The clearest national evidence comes from RAND's survey panels of US educators. RAND reported that, as of fall 2024, roughly half of districts provided training to teachers on generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, twice the share of the previous fall, and that another quarter planned to start in 2024-25. A 2025 RAND report found that virtually all of this training was optional for teachers.
Guidance for students and staff lagged behind. In RAND's American Instructional Resources Survey for 2023-24, 25 percent of teachers used AI tools for planning or teaching and nearly 60 percent of principals used AI for their work, yet only 18 percent of principals reported that their school or district provided guidance on AI use by staff, teachers, or students. These are survey results from specific years, and districts have continued to change their policies since.
Decisions that sit at the district level
The table lists typical district decisions about an AI tool, with a question to ask for each. It is an illustrative screening list, not a legal requirement, and state or provincial rules may assign some of these decisions elsewhere.
| Decision | Who usually decides | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Which tools are approved for classrooms | District technology or curriculum office | Is there a written review covering privacy, accessibility, and accuracy? |
| Contract and data terms with a vendor | District procurement and legal staff | Does the contract say what happens to student data when it ends? |
| Teacher training | District professional learning team | Is training optional or required, and who covers substitute time? |
| Rules for student use and academic integrity | District policy, often with school-level detail | Are expectations the same across grades and subjects? |
| Support for students with disabilities | School team under district policy | Does the tool work with each student's individual plan? |
Benefits and limits of deciding at district scale
A district can negotiate one contract for many schools, run shared training, and apply one privacy review rather than dozens. Those are structural advantages, but the surveys reviewed here do not measure whether they improve learning or safety. The same surveys show that capacity varies: RAND's earlier analysis found low-poverty districts ahead of higher-poverty districts in offering AI training. A central decision also reaches every school at once, so a poor choice spreads as widely as a good one.
FAQ
What is the difference between a school district and a school board?
In the United States, a district is the governmental unit and a board of education is the elected or appointed body that governs it. In Ontario, the district school board is the unit and its trustees are the governing body.
Does the district or the school choose AI tools?
It varies. Districts often approve tools and sign contracts, while teachers choose among approved options. Some states and provinces add their own rules.
How many US districts were there in 2022?
The Census Bureau counted 12,546 independent school districts and 1,313 dependent public school systems, 13,859 in total.
Do families have a say in district AI decisions?
District boards usually hold public meetings and adopt policies in the open, which gives families a way to comment. The sources reviewed do not measure how often AI policies change after public input.
Related reading
- how AI is used in education
- impact and potential of AI in schools
- AI and modern society
- older and newer AI methods compared
More in AI and Society.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- 2022 Census of Governments, Organization data and technical documentation, U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
- Education facts, Ministry of Education, updated December 11, 2025
- More Districts Are Training Teachers on Artificial Intelligence: Findings from the American School District Panel, RAND Corporation, 2025
- Uneven Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among U.S. Teachers and Principals in the 2023-2024 School Year, RAND Corporation, 2025