Saturday, March 29, 2008

N.Y. Republicans want Center for Rural Schools

The New York Senate's version of the state budget includes $500,000 for what would be the nation's first legislatively established center for rural schools, reports the Star-Gazette of Elmira. If the Democratic House agrees with the Republican plan, the center would be created at the state's major land-grant institution, Cornell University in Ithaca.

The idea of a Center for Rural Schools is pushed by Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira,
who chairs the Legislature's Commission on Rural Resources. "If we're serious about remaking and strengthening upstate New York, we need to aggressively recognize that a rural school district can be a driving force for revitalization," he said. (Read more)

In the 2000 census, New York's rural population was almost 2.4 million, or about 12.5 percent of its total.

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