Rural Schools A funding disparity between rural districts and their urban and suburban counterparts compounds the special challenges of rural schools. Many federal grants are awarded based upon student population.
Rural districts are smaller than urban and suburban districts.
When rural districts apply for grants, the resulting funds are often too small to accomplish the purpose of the award. H.R. 2 passed in the House last year. The Senate is expected to address ESEA reauthorization later this year. Draft legislation indicates that a similar provision for rural districts will be included in the Senate version.