Suburban Schooling

Suburban school systems developed to educate young people whose families lived in suburban communities. These systems expanded substantially in the mid-20th century. As of 2009, the U.S. Department of Education reported that more elementary and secondary school students attended suburban schools (35%) than city (29%), rural (23%), or town schools (13%). Although suburban communities have surrounded major urban centers since the mid-1800s, they experienced their most substantial growth after World War II. In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 50% of U.S. residents lived in suburbs. This entry looks at the emergence, growth, and increasing racial, ethnic, and social class diversity of suburban schools in the United States.