Perspective: Some Future Trends and Needs of Rural Schools and Communities

Abstract

We do not need to read die tea leaves, call upon a seer, or turn to tarot cards to predict the future of rural schools and small communities based on past and current evidence. From the Washington perspective, everything points to continued longevity, as long as the federal government does its part to assist in the success of rural schools and communities. Current Trends in Small, Rural Schools To begin, some facts about rural, small schools and school districts. While the number of school districts nationwide has slighdy declined in the last decade, the number of school buildings in use is on the rise. More non-traditional buildings are being used to house students (think charter schools) and new schools are being built (look at Clark County, Nevada). Yet in some parts of the nation, schools are being shut down because of lack of enrollment or because of forced consolidation. Rural school districts can be defined as those with fewer than 2,500 students. This is by no means scientific. However, most agree there is no good definition of what constitutes rural. (An aside: The U.S. Census Bureau is currently redefining the terms they use to describe population tracks for the current data set. The proposed terms do not identify or give a descriptor to, any community with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.) The majority of districts, over 70%, in the nation enroll fewer than 2,500 students and account for 20% of the entire U.S. student body population. The statistic diat astonishes most folks is that one-third of all districts educate fewer than 600 students; that's not in a school, but a school district. Families who live in small, rural communities expect to receive the same (or at the minimum) a very similar education as their suburban counterparts. Supporters of equal educational opportunities for all children, expect the same for students in rural areas. While disparities exist among rural, suburban, and urban youth in almost every category that can be defined and studied, for example, achievement levels, involvement in afterschool activities, graduation rates from high school, rural students are able to out-perform or maintain equality with their peers in many if not most categories. Special Education Trends in Small, Rural Schools The one area in which where there is no dispute about need is the education of children with disabilities. Children with disabilities who live in rural, small communities are entitled to the same free and appropriate public education (FAPE), under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), as any other child in the United States. There are few great phrases when it comes to education policy, but when a phrase becomes its own acronym - FAPE - there is no disputing this mandate for equity. Providing a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities can be a severe financial burden to local small districts. For example, placement costs for a severely disabled child can exceed $100,000 annually. Federal funding has not yet met the level established by Congress when IDEA became law in 1975 or in subsequent reauthorizations. The result is an extreme financial burden for all districts. While only a small percentage of children need extensive services, the majority of educational services for children enrolled in special education does cost more than the average daily expenditure for other children in school districts. Small districts have small budgets and a need greater federal and state assistance. Without additional support, there is a constant struggle between regular and special education budgets for scarce resources. Although no one wishes to pit one student's needs against another, it happens in many small communities across the nation. Richard Rothstein, an economist, studied school district budgets between 1967 and 1996, a period in which education spending doubled. Many political leaders and education pundits asked, What happened to all that money? …