Report shows data snapshot of rural schools, calls on Congress to address challenges they face

A new report quantifies the challenges faced by rural students and outlines how Congress can enact or amend federal policies to help fix them. Leveling the Playing Field for Rural Students, which was issued by The School Superintendents Association and The Rural School and Community Trust, has five specific recommendations for legislators:

• Enable access to new, high-quality educational opportunities
• Address health barriers to learning
• Leverage career and technical programs for economic growth
• End food insecurity for rural children
• Adequately invest in rural schools

The report is packed with data and statistics that create a clear picture of who rural students are demographically and what they're facing. A few facts from the report:

• Nearly 1 in 5 students attend rural schools--that's 8.9 million students, more than the enrollments of schools in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and the nation's next 75 largest school districts combined. 
• 53 percent of school districts in the U.S. are rural.
• 72 percent of the U.S. is rural.
• More than 1 in 4 rural students is a minority, but rural schools tend to have about 20 percent more white children than the national average.
• Despite higher costs in rural and smaller schools, only 17 percent of state funds on average go to rural school districts.
• Rural schools have an 80 percent graduation rate, compared to 77 percent nationwide, 68 percent in cities, 79 percent in towns, and 81 percent in suburban areas.
• Rural students in the 4th and 8th grades have higher scores in reading and math than students in cities and towns, but lower scores than suburban students.