Education

It’s a no-brainer. Access to a quality education is the key to our children’s future. But today’s rural schools face special challenges.

• Rural schools serve over 40 percent of our nation’s students, but receive on 22 percent of federal education funding.

• Rural districts experience unique teacher recruitment and retention challenges.

• Rural districts that rely on proceeds from timber sales have faced cuts due to a significant drop in revenue.

Thousands of rural school districts have been forced to consolidate, resulting in long commutes for many students and a loss of community identity.  It’s time to demand equity in rural education funding, recognizing the special challenges facing rural schools. It’s time to support policies that will strengthen the rural economy, bringing jobs and families into the communities and more resources into the schools.