Rural schools say they don’t get enough state help to meet their needs

Superintendents of rural school districts feel state leaders rarely consider their needs — even though they struggle with providing special education, transportation, teacher recruitment, finding contractors, keeping track of paperwork and staying in compliance with state regulations, CalMatters reported. 

“We have a system that works through an urban and suburban lens, but leaves rural schools behind,” Rindy DeVoll, the executive director of the California Rural Ed Network, told CalMatters. “Everyone in education has challenges, but they are amplified for rural districts.”

Thirty-five percent of schools in California are rural schools, meaning they are at least 25 miles from a city and have fewer than 600 students. 

Students at rural schools are often behind their suburban peers when it comes to meeting state standards in English and math. They also lag behind in their graduation rates and in their completion of coursework needed to attend the state’s public universities, CalMatters reported.

“There are those who don’t understand that California extends past Woodland (near Sacramento),” Jeff Harris, superintendent of the Del Norte Unified School District, told CalMatters. “There’s a lot of well-intended legislation that gives no thought to the impact on rural areas.”

Federal Rural Education and Achievement grants can help with expenses including salaries and internet, but not all districts receive funds — and those that do don’t get much, CalMatters reported. 

“California policy largely does not take into account the needs of rural areas. It’s geared toward wealthier, coastal communities. There might be some lip service, but inland, less wealthy areas are stuck with some pretty expensive burdens,” said Assemblymember James Gallagher, a lawmaker from the Chico area who heads the Assembly Republican Caucus.