School boards govern the nation’s public and private schools. While each state has its own board of education for public schools, most educational decisions are handled at the local level by appointed or elected boards of education. School boards make policies and decisions concerning educational standards, bond issues, teacher salaries, accreditation issues, equity issues and compliance with federal, state and local regulations. They may also make decisions regarding textbook selection, censorship, expulsion and personnel decisions. The National School Boards Association’s mission statement asserts that “local school boards are the nation’s pre-eminent expression of grass roots democracy and that this form of governance of the public schools is fundamental to the continued success of public education.” In the late twentieth century urban school boards often found themselves caught in conflicts with city governments and with demands of programs and parental aspirations exceeding revenues.