/small-school-districts Small School Districts en-US 2021 (c) Education Week Mon, 29 Jul 2024 20:40:34 GMT /leadership/rural-schools-are-fighting-for-their-existence-what-the-future-could-look-like/2024/07 Rural schools have long been contending with enrollment declines that are still relatively new to districts in more populated areas. Mon, 29 Jul 2024 20:40:34 GMT /leadership/rural-schools-are-fighting-for-their-existence-what-the-future-could-look-like/2024/07 /leadership/video-how-this-superintendent-overhauled-literacy-instruction/2023/09 This Kentucky superintendent made overhauling literacy instruction a top priority. Two years later, he鈥檚 already seeing results. Fri, 29 Sep 2023 17:24:31 GMT /leadership/video-how-this-superintendent-overhauled-literacy-instruction/2023/09 /teaching-learning/the-language-of-equity An Alabama district has overhauled how it supports English learners鈥攎aking great strides in early grades that it may not be able to sustain. Mon, 30 Jan 2023 05:01:34 GMT /teaching-learning/the-language-of-equity /policy-politics/this-superintendents-tiny-rural-district-got-no-covid-aid-heres-why-that-hurts/2022/09 The aid formula left Long Lake, N.Y., out of the mix. The superintendent worries that could happen for other kinds of aid in the future. Tue, 06 Sep 2022 21:18:52 GMT /policy-politics/this-superintendents-tiny-rural-district-got-no-covid-aid-heres-why-that-hurts/2022/09 /leaders/2022/healthcare-was-hard-to-come-by-so-this-superintendent-stepped-up Ben Thigpen, the superintendent in rural Jones County, N.C., launched a telehealth program to improve medical care for students and staff. Wed, 16 Feb 2022 05:01:11 GMT /leaders/2022/healthcare-was-hard-to-come-by-so-this-superintendent-stepped-up /teaching-learning/resilience-faith-and-support-how-twin-brothers-forged-diverging-paths-to-college/2021/09 Twin brothers from rural Arkansas reflect on their path to college in the midst of the pandemic. Tue, 21 Sep 2021 18:30:59 GMT /teaching-learning/resilience-faith-and-support-how-twin-brothers-forged-diverging-paths-to-college/2021/09 /policy-politics/medicaid-treats-small-districts-and-rural-schools-unfairly-report-says/2019/02 Medicaid spending is the third-largest source of federal funds for K-12, but a national group representing superintendents says the program can do better. Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:37:56 GMT /policy-politics/medicaid-treats-small-districts-and-rural-schools-unfairly-report-says/2019/02 /leadership/small-arkansas-school-district-installs-safe-rooms-in-all-classrooms/2019/01 A school district in a small Arkansas city has installed steel safe rooms in every classroom. Wed, 23 Jan 2019 01:11:46 GMT /leadership/small-arkansas-school-district-installs-safe-rooms-in-all-classrooms/2019/01 /technology/public-school-district-enrolls-students-from-private-school-for-online-classes/2017/09 A small and shrinking school district near Los Angeles has come up with a novel way to stem its enrollment loss: Set up a virtual school and enroll students from faraway Roman Catholic schools. Tue, 19 Sep 2017 22:46:29 GMT /technology/public-school-district-enrolls-students-from-private-school-for-online-classes/2017/09 /leadership/virtual-summer-school-an-option-for-students-in-small-illinois-district/2017/05 In this district about 11 miles outside of Chicago, students can choose among four different summer learning opportunities, including a virtual summer school program. Fri, 05 May 2017 20:25:00 GMT /leadership/virtual-summer-school-an-option-for-students-in-small-illinois-district/2017/05 /policy-politics/court-dismisses-funding-suit-filed-by-small-n-y-districts/2016/10 A judge has thrown out a lawsuit against New York that claimed the state was shortchanging students in eight small-city districts and denying their constitutional right to a "sound basic education." Tue, 04 Oct 2016 23:21:14 GMT /policy-politics/court-dismisses-funding-suit-filed-by-small-n-y-districts/2016/10 /leadership/vt-residents-vote-against-consolidating-school-districts-video/2016/06 In a small region of Vermont, a fierce debate raged over consolidating five tiny school districts into one. Thu, 09 Jun 2016 15:52:31 GMT /leadership/vt-residents-vote-against-consolidating-school-districts-video/2016/06 /leadership/video-merging-small-school-districts-showdown-in-vermont/2016/06 With a plummeting student enrollment and skyrocketing education costs, Vermont lawmakers decided last year to begin an ambitious and controversial experiment to consolidate its vast system of public schools. The law, Act 46, intends to dramatically reduce the number of districts in the mostly rural state-there are currently 280 of them-by 2020 using a series of tax incentives. Supporters argue that by sharing resources more efficiently, the state will save millions of dollars and give students access to academically rigorous programs and more electives like the arts. But opponents say the initiative stabs at the very heart of Vermont, with its hundreds of tiny school houses and, more importantly, Vermonters' deeply-felt sense of local control. In this report, John Tulenko of Education Week profiles a northern region of Vermont where residents are sharply divided on whether to combine its five school districts. Read more about this issue on edweek.org. This video aired on PBS NewsHour on May 31, 2016. Fri, 03 Jun 2016 19:13:12 GMT /leadership/video-merging-small-school-districts-showdown-in-vermont/2016/06 /leadership/court-orders-miss-district-to-desegregate-schools/2016/05 Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision striking down racially segregated public schools, one small Mississippi district had resisted鈥攗ntil now. Tue, 31 May 2016 23:54:39 GMT /leadership/court-orders-miss-district-to-desegregate-schools/2016/05 /leadership/opinion-for-school-districts-smaller-can-mean-better/2015/12 Big districts get all the attention. Their leaders make headlines. They 100,000+ students; 10,000+ teachers. What they often don't have is the best results for students, writes Arun Ramanathan. Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:29:37 GMT /leadership/opinion-for-school-districts-smaller-can-mean-better/2015/12 /education/okla-district-being-probed-for-misuse-of-funds/2015/12 A small Oklahoma school district is under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education's inspector general for the alleged misappropriation of at least $235,000 over a five-year period. Tue, 01 Dec 2015 22:30:23 GMT /education/okla-district-being-probed-for-misuse-of-funds/2015/12 /leadership/small-districts-tally-1-billion-in-annual-unnecessary-spending-report-says/2013/08 A new report estimates small, nonremote school districts account for $1 billion in funds that wouldn't have to be spent if they were larger. Wed, 14 Aug 2013 18:49:55 GMT /leadership/small-districts-tally-1-billion-in-annual-unnecessary-spending-report-says/2013/08 /leadership/report-states-could-save-millions-by-consolidating-small-districts/2013/08 The Center for American Progress has released a new report suggesting that school districts could improve efficiency by consolidating small districts. Thu, 08 Aug 2013 23:30:56 GMT /leadership/report-states-could-save-millions-by-consolidating-small-districts/2013/08 /education/rural-new-york-districts-look-to-innovate-to-overcome-funding-challenges/2013/06 Small, rural New York school districts are continuing to explore ideas to combat declining enrollment and funds. Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:28:59 GMT /education/rural-new-york-districts-look-to-innovate-to-overcome-funding-challenges/2013/06 /teaching-learning/opinion-investing-in-tech-to-turn-the-tides-in-wheatland/2013/06 Jason Tadlock helped turned around a tough situation in a small K-8 district outside Milwaukee by investing in technology and teachers. Fri, 21 Jun 2013 10:42:26 GMT /teaching-learning/opinion-investing-in-tech-to-turn-the-tides-in-wheatland/2013/06 /education/south-dakota-gives-small-districts-new-option-to-avoid-consolidation/2013/05 South Dakota law has required school districts with fewer than 100 students to reorganize, but a change in state law gives those small districts a new option to avoid that fate. Tue, 21 May 2013 18:09:49 GMT /education/south-dakota-gives-small-districts-new-option-to-avoid-consolidation/2013/05 /education/oklahoma-eyes-consolidation-for-small-rural-schools/2012/10 Oklahoma's governor has told the state it's time to talk about restructuring schools, and consolidation is a big part of that conversation. Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:18:26 GMT /education/oklahoma-eyes-consolidation-for-small-rural-schools/2012/10 /education/charter-school-funding-can-hurt-small-districts/2012/08 The way charter schools are funded can have serious effects on the budgets of small, rural districts, according to new analysis from the Rural School and Community Trust. Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:55:58 GMT /education/charter-school-funding-can-hurt-small-districts/2012/08 /policy-politics/will-small-districts-even-bother-competing-in-new-race-to-top/2012/08 More than half of the nation's school districts are not eligible to apply on their own for the Race to the Top competition for districts because their enrollments are too small. Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:05:42 GMT /policy-politics/will-small-districts-even-bother-competing-in-new-race-to-top/2012/08 /education/rural-superintendents-share-financial-success-secrets/2011/09 In a new study, a group of rural Texas superintendents highlight a number of strategies to maintain their districts' financial well-being. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:30:30 GMT /education/rural-superintendents-share-financial-success-secrets/2011/09 /policy-politics/lawsuit-links-rural-schools-national-security/2010/07 Supporters of a small Arkansas school district sued the state late last month, claiming that the closure of rural schools threatens the country's security and food supply. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:39:05 GMT /policy-politics/lawsuit-links-rural-schools-national-security/2010/07 /education/judge-bars-transfers-of-pupils-in-bias-case/2010/04 A judge has ordered a small southern Mississippi school district to stop allowing hundreds of white students to transfer out of majority black schools. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:18:07 GMT /education/judge-bars-transfers-of-pupils-in-bias-case/2010/04 /education/opinion-encyclopedias-still-have-place-in-student-learning/2006/11 I read your Nov. 8, 2006, article "Scholars Test Out New Yardsticks of School Poverty" with interest, living and working as I do in a small, rural district that sits on the poverty line, as measured by free or reduced-price lunches. Tue, 28 Nov 2006 21:57:07 GMT /education/opinion-encyclopedias-still-have-place-in-student-learning/2006/11 /education/pittsburgh-district-to-manage-troubled-duquesne-schools/2006/07 The Pittsburgh school board approved a one-year contract last week that allows Superintendent Mark Roosevelt and other city school administrators to help manage a small, troubled district nearby. Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:57:43 GMT /education/pittsburgh-district-to-manage-troubled-duquesne-schools/2006/07 /education/supreme-court-wont-review-nebraska-consolidation-case/2006/05 The U.S. Supreme Court declined without comment last week to review an appeal stemming from a Nebraska lawsuit that aimed to keep open about 200 small school districts that opposed being consolidated into neighboring districts. Tue, 23 May 2006 18:20:44 GMT /education/supreme-court-wont-review-nebraska-consolidation-case/2006/05