The "Public School Districts" machine-readable data file (MRDF) is a subfile within the Common Core of Data (CCD) program (a continuation of the Elementary and Secondary General Information Survey-ELSEGIS). This file contains approximately 16,000 records, each representing a public school district (or other local agency) providing free public elementary and secondary education in the United States and its outlying areas. Variables given in each record include: name, mailing address, county, grade span, fall enrollment, number of schools, size of the system, standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) designation, fiscal status, school board selection methods, and type of district. The data for enrollment and number of schools are always from the year previous to the year of the survey. This is intended to be a "universal" file (containing entries for all members of the class surveyed), permitting the educational community to draw statistically valid samples from which state or national estimates can be made. The survey that generates this data file is done annually, with State Education Agencies (SEA's) as the respondents. Tape files are available for the years 1968-69 through 1986-87 (except for 1974-75). POPULATION: Public School Districts (15,000). TYPE OF SURVEY: Census Survey; National Survey. RESPONDENTS: State Education Agencies. FREQUENCY: Annual. YEAR OF FIRST DATA: 1968. (CDM/WTB)