A municipal school (kommunal skola) is a school whose operator is the pupil's home municipality — or a federation of municipalities. Municipal schools make up the majority of Swedish compulsory schools and educate roughly 83% of compulsory-school pupils.
Funding
Municipal schools are funded directly via the municipal budget. The pupil voucher (skolpeng) allocated per pupil follows the same rules as for independent schools — the municipality sets the amount annually, and the same amount is paid to every school regardless of operator type.
Admissions
Municipal compulsory schools apply the proximity principle for admissions — pupils living closer to a school have priority. The municipality is required to offer a place at a school near the home, but guardians can usually choose another municipal school within the municipality if there is room (the principle of free school choice).
Governance
Municipal schools are governed by the same Education Act and curriculum (Lgr22) as independent schools. The school board or children-and-education committee in the municipality holds the political responsibility, while the principal (rektor) leads the pedagogical work at the unit level.