Many educational researchers have identified issues on classifying schools and some have made use of ad-hoc classification systems in their analyses; however, these solutions are generally one-dimensional, which prohibits them from capturing the full breadth of variation among schools. To understand the amount of variation that exist in schools today, the author calls for the creation of a taxonomy of schools. The ultimate goal of the taxonomy is the creation of a clear and comprehensible categorization system, comprised of multiple, theoretically significant dimensions, that produces relatively homogeneous groups of schools and draws clear lines between the groups. With such a taxonomy one can make valid evaluations and comparisons and achieve a real understanding of schools. (Contains 15 notes.)