As school systems grow both vertically and horizontally, they face forces tending both to unify (centripetal) and to disunify (centrifugal). A viable system growth involves a blend of both forces on both vertical and horizontal dimensions. It is often assumed that the disunifying impact of centrifugal forces is of such proportion that the administrative unit must grow in size at a rate faster than that of the system in order to provide adequate centripetal impact. Data compiled for all school districts in the United States from 1951-52 to 1963-64, however, show that the relative size of the administrative component varies inversely with the size of the system. Although evidence from the literature is scanty, general propositions can be tentatively advanced concerning the relationship between system size and personnel absences: (1) Absence is associated with size in a curvilinear relations, increasing and then decreasing; (2) in a small system absence is a function of the total social system, while in a large system it is associated with the characteristics of the subsystem work group; (3) absence varies most in small system; and (4) frequency of absence varies inversely with the degree of compatibility of personal and organizational styles. (HW)