Chapter 1: School Funding and Rural Districts

Viewed (metaphorically) from 10,000 feet, all rural districts probably seem much the same to the casual observer. Indeed, from such a vantage point, in some ways rural school districts may even resemble urban school districts (Provasnik et al., 2007).For example, rural areas have higher poverty and lower budgetary revenue than their suburban counterparts, just like urban areas. Similar to those in urban schools, parents of rural school children tend to have lower levels of educational attainment than parents in suburban schools. In reality, though, there is considerable variability both among rural districts (Johnson, Showalter, Klein, & Lester, 2014) and between rural and nonrural districts (IES, 2007). When that variability is accounted for, what emerges (or should emerge, to the careful observer) is the recognition that each rural district operates with its own set of strengths and challenges (cf. Hobbs, 1998). Federal and even state policymakers tend to treat urban, suburban, and rural schools the same, using a one-size-fits-all approach in addressing diverse issues that play out in diverse settings (Johnson & Howley, 2015); such an approach fails to address the specific needs of each educational setting and can end up doing more harm than good. Understanding varied rural contexts—from the perspective of both strengths and challenges—and their effects on rural schools is an important step in crafting effective and responsive fiscal policy for these districts.