The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 78 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information, and to collectively address new challenges as they emerge in order to deliver the best possible education for urban youth.

Total number of students served by Council member district schools:  7.84 million

Student enrollment characteristics:
44%          Hispanic
26%          African American
18%          White
7%            Asian/Pacific Islander
1%            Alaskan/Native American
17%          English Language Learners
70%          Eligible for free/reduced price lunch  
17%          Students with Individualized Education Programs  

Member districts: Albuquerque, Anchorage, Arlington (Texas), Atlanta, Aurora, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Bridgeport, Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale), Buffalo, Charleston County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago, Cincinnati, Clark County (Las Vegas), Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Duval County (Jacksonville), East Baton Rouge, El Paso, Fayette County (Lexington), Fort Worth, Fresno, Guilford County (Greensboro, N.C.), Hawaii, Hillsborough County (Tampa), Houston, Indianapolis, Jackson, Jefferson County (Louisville), Kansas City, Little Rock, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade County, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Newark, Norfolk, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orange County (Orlando), Palm Beach County, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pinellas County, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Puerto Rico, Richmond, Rochester, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Ana, Seattle, Shelby County (Memphis), St. Louis, St. Paul, Toledo, Tulsa, Washoe County (Reno), Washington, D.C., Wichita, and Winston-Salem Forsyth

School districts eligible for membership must be located in cities with populations over 250,000 and student enrollments over 35,000.  School districts located in the largest city of any state are also eligible for membership, regardless of size.