Problems In Rural Education
- 1. Problems in Rural Education Patty Simon
- 2. Problems of Rural Schools Teacher Compensation School Employees School Buildings Technology Funding
- 3. Teacher Compensation Teachers in rural schools and small town schools have smaller incomes. They are less likely to receive health insurance. Full-time teachers in rural schools receive an average annual salary of $33,298, less than their counterparts in central city schools ($37,173) and in urban fringe schools ($40,842).
- 4. School Employees Teachers of rural schools and small town schools spend more time being with students at schools and outside school hours. They have fewer students in departments and in self-contained classrooms. On average, rural school teachers are required to be at school slightly more hours (32.4) per week than their peers in central city schools (31.7) and in urban fringe schools (31.6).
- 5. School Buildings Three out of 10 rural and small town schools have inadequate buildings. One in two schools have at least one inadequate building feature. Approximately one-half have unsatisfactory environmental conditions. About 4.6 million students are attending schools in inadequate buildings. Thirty percent of schools in rural areas report at least one inadequate building, compared with 38 percent of central city schools and 29 percent of urban fringe schools.
- 6. Technology Rural and small town schools report lower rates of Internet access and of using telecommunications to access information, keep records, and communicate with parents. Rural schools (71%) reported lower rates of using advanced telecommunications (including but not limited to the Internet) to access information than urban fringe schools (81%). Seventy-two percent of city schools reported using advanced telecommunications to access information.
- 7. Funding the amount of total public school funding was approximately $232.6 billion Of the approximately $22 billion in school funds from federal, 45.8 percent went to schools in central cities, 30.8 percent to urban fringe schools, and 23.4 percent to rural and small town schools.
- 8. Solving the problem of Funding and Teacher Compensation Every community should be allowed to vote to tax itself to provide programs beyond a state-defined “adequate” education. One percent of the state’s education budget should be earmarked for innovation and performance incentives. One percent of the state’s education budget (and an additional 2 percent of local education dollars) should be targeted for ongoing training and professional development.
- 9. Solving the problem of School Buildings Provide sufficient funds to ensure school facilities are maintained and in “compliance with all local, state and federal mandates. Provide funding to meet the $17 billion estimated shortfall in school construction and renovation.
- 10. Promoting Technology Private endowments from private and public businesses. Creative fund raising by the school district.
- 11. Solving the Problems of Funding Centralize school finance so that the state, rather than local districts, has the primary responsibility for funding schools. Base school funding on a explicit assessment of the actual costs of educating a child.
- 12. Solving the Problems of Funding If the base cost of an adequate education grows with inflation, the combination of state and local revenues for education should be permitted to increase proportionately and in a manner that does not impact any one class of property tax disproportionately.
- 13. Conclusion Successful school finance reform must target efficiency and productivity in the current education system if Ohioans want higher quality public education that is both thorough and efficient. Ohio citizens are going to have to educate themselves and take a more active role in political issues that effect school funding reform.