The Council of the Great City Schools surveyed its member districts in the fall of 2004 to determine the characteristics of school boards and board members in U.S. urban schools. This was the first survey of its school boards and this report contains the results of that survey. Respondents were asked to provide information on a range of topics including board governance; structure; demographics of board members, including race/ethnicity, age, gender, educational background, and profession. The survey also asked about board member salaries, benefits, elections, and board activities. This report highlights the wide variation among urban school boards in terms of compensation, structure, and governance approaches. (Contains 17 figures.)