[thsrocks]

Examples of independent school districts:

Eminence takes students from 7 counties. They have the room and offer a sound academic program. They are not strong athletically and choose to put more funding into diverse academic programs. They are leaders in education innovation.

Highlands is a slightly different story. Highlands has a system to choose who gets in. They are one of the wealthier and academically successful school districts with a very low poverty rate and few on reduced or free lunch programs. The Bluebirds due use resources to fuel high quality athletic programs as well as maintaining high academic standards.
The Bluebirds choose not to get larger. Highlands maintains their enrollment at 750-850 or so and have for thirty years.