The primary organizational structure for a city's schools is the district. Its critics, however, consider that dysfunction was designed into school districts structure by virtue of their history. District structure was built on the notions that intelligence was innate, that the "scientific management" model produced optimal results, and that schools should be separated from politics. Many district reform efforts have not worked. This paper offers a reform solution that achieves both positive educational results and equity in a "local educational support system" or "smart district." Such systems provide all schools in the "school community" support for results at scale, ensure equity, and emphasize community responsibility. Essential functions include providing schools, students, and teachers with needed support and timely interventions; ensuring that schools have the power and resources to make good decisions; and making decisions and holding people throughout the system accountable by using indicators of school and district performance and practices. Each of these functions must work in concert--none is sufficient on its own to ensure results and equity. Strong leadership and political will are needed to overcome resistance to change; brainpower is needed to design steps intelligently; and skills and constructive relationships are needed to implement such a system effectively. (Contains 28 references.) (RT)