I also enjoyed their bluegrass songs. Nature trail created as a school and community project. The original Walden's Ridge Cluster of three schools was funded by the Rural Challenge to foster programs which instill in students the conviction that success is achievable in rural areas. These schools, with a solid track record of academic excellence and educational innovation, quickly spread the Rural Challenge philosophy to the other four schools in Morgan County. One of these, the Sunbright school, has become an active participant in the Cluster, and the others are becoming increasingly involved.
Efforts are underway to consider the revitalized curriculum in the light of state standards.
Oakdale and its feeder communities have only 1800 people and its K-12 school serves just over 500 students. Coalfield, a little larger, has a K-12 school serving approximately 600 students. Only Wartburg has a stand-alone high school, one with 25 teachers and a student body of 437. Central High publishes a literary magazine, the Bitter Creek Review , which includes contributions from some of the community adults. In the spring of 1999, eleven student representatives from the Walden's Ridge Cluster attended a South Dakota Student Extravaganza which brought students from Rural Challenge Schools together from all across the country.