The purpose of this research was to study a school district in a small American city to understand who controls school curriculum in the local community. The research approach used was reputational analysis, a survey method whereby the reputed influence of leaders is measured rather than taken for granted. Also used was a technique developed by Bonjean and Noland to identify visible, concealed, and symbolic leaders in the community. Findings showed that those who influence curriculum decision-making in the local community do no work overtly. Their power is in the minds of others who, for unknown reasons, allow themselves to be influenced. The study offers two warnings about reputational analysis. First, when school officials use this method to communicate with community leaders, serious legal, political, and democratic-ethical problems are raised. Second, this method weighs reputations more heavily than actions so that its very use results in the discovery of elitism and hierarchy. (Author/LD)