Chapter 2: Location, Location, Location: School Choice in the Rural Context

Since the first charter school opened in 1991 in Minnesota, and charters rose in popularity in the 20 years that followed, school choice has become a familiar topic of conversation among families, educators, and policymakers alike—despite the fact that homeschooling has existed since the founding of the country, religiousbased private schools began operating in the 1600s, and magnet schools were created in response to desegregation in the 1970s. School choice is often thought of as an “urban issue,” as most of the media attention and policy discussions tend to focus on urban school districts, with little to no regard for rural families and rural schools. This chapter serves to bring attention to the availability and popularity of school choice options in rural settings.