Saving Dying Rural Schools

Rural schools are dying a slow death – all across America. As rural towns suffer to keep their downtowns vibrant, and their populations stable, their public schools struggle to maintain enrollment that will keep their K-12 campuses open and successful. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Iowa.

In Iowa and elsewhere, it’s time for rural communities to be creative about how they offer learning to their young people. Recently, Iowa Public Radio ran a story about a small rural community that is trying to increase their enrollment by being more creative about how kids can learn in 2026:

“A charter school opening this year in northwest Iowa is only the second of its kind in the state.”

“The Future Frontiers Charter School is housed in the Sumner-Fredericksburg School District. Unlike most Iowa charters, it’s governed by the same elected school board. It’s an effort to recapture students who left the public school system.”

“Enrolled high schoolers split time between traditional, online and community college classes and work-based learning.”

“Superintendent Ryan Cunningham said it could be a model for public schools as students seek other options.”

“’The local high schools and the face-to-face interaction for our students is so vital and important, and keeps them connected,’ Cunningham said on IPR’s Talk of Iowa. ‘They’ve chosen to leave for a reason, and if we can bring them back in some ways, we think that that’s really a healthy thing for those kids.’”

“Enrollment in the district has fallen roughly 25% since 2000. But New Frontiers met its first-year goal of nearly 30 full or partially enrolled students. It hopes to enroll 75 next year.”

For so long, charters and public schools warred with each other, trying to steal students away from each other to control market share. But now, especially in rural America, charters and public schools would be wise to partner together – like Sumner-Fredericksburg has done with Future Frontiers Charter – in order to regain young learners who have left the public school system to pursue other options. In Iowa, along with other Republican-dominated states, the number one option available to disgruntled public school students is to enroll in a private school using an education savings account or voucher.

The more choice public schools can offer their young learners, especially those rural schools fighting to stay alive, the better chance those schools have to engage young people and their families to the possibilities of learning – whether it be school-based or out of school.

Without creativity and flexibility when it comes to learner choice, all schools, but especially rural schools, will continue to struggle to offer significance to the group they need to attract most – the young learner.

Til tomorrow. SVB