This money is an absolute lifeline," said Jaime Green, superintendent of Trinity Alps Unified in Trinity County, where more than 70% of the land is owned by the U.S. Forest Service. "If it doesn't get renewed, thousands of people in rural communities will lose their jobs, thousands of children will be harmed. It's mind boggling to me that we're in this position. The Secure Rural Schools program, [see USFS payment history] which brings extra money to counties with large swaths of untaxable public land, faces an uncertain future in Congress as it awaits renewal. Despite bipartisan support, the program has yet to pass on its own or as part a larger funding bill. If it doesn't pass, it will expire.

An interview with the Director of the Rural Schools Collaborative, Taylor McCabe-Juhnke:

"In many rural communities, public schools are the largest employers, and, often, these schools are the last vestige of public infrastructure that engages the people of a given community. Therefore, the role of the teacher in a small town is often outsized. We believe that rural America is approaching a very tough intersection—a crossroads where the undermining of public institutions meets what is a very real rural teacher shortage."

The National Rural Education Association is proud to release Why Rural Matters 2023: Centering Equity and Opportunity — the 10th in a series of reports analyzing the contexts and conditions of rural education in each of the 50 states [and source of post-title statistic.]

There are many faces of rural: from remote Indigenous reservations in the West, to small towns in the Great Plains and Midwest, to the Mississippi Delta and Southern "Black Belt," to Appalachia and New England. Rural can look different in each state: a town of a few thousand people, or tiny communities located several hours or even days from the nearest city, as is the case in parts of Alaska. Meeting the needs of nearly 10 million children is a challenge and an obligation that demands and deserves collective attention across the United States. Fulfilling that obligation requires educators, policymakers, caregivers, students, citizens, and employers to deepen our understanding of rural education issues and to move beyond simplistic and often harmful notions about rural schools and their communities.