Small, rural schools may be eligible for grants if they are in an area classified as high poverty. Grant writing may be a laborious process, but creativity and resourcefulness is synonymous with rural folks. Grants for special-needs students and for enhancing the school s curriculum enrich the entire school. Redirect district funds to the school s priorities. The value of planning and prioritizing is well known to small school systems.
Limited resources require directing funds toward the schools major objectives.
Involving school staff in developing such goals and objectives can put schoolwide support behind the allocation of limited funds. Increase use of community volunteers for nonteaching duties. Rural schools are also community schools. Getting help from volunteers to perform nonteaching duties frees up time for staffs who probably are already overburdened and saves money for the district in some areas. Extracurricular Activities Pay teachers a supplemental salary to perform extracurricular duties.