Possible Legislation May Help Rural Schools
Congressman Dave Loebsack (left) and Oskaloosa High School Principal Stacy Bandy (right) talk about the RURAL Act.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Congressman Dave Loebsack was once again in Oskaloosa this past week in an effort to push forward legislation in education.
Loebsack visited Oskaloosa High School and talked about the Restructuring Underutilized Resources for Advancing Learning (RURAL) Act. The point of the legislation would be to help financially challenged schools receive the same quality resources as larger school districts.
The problem is that rural school districts, particularly those consolidated districts, spend more money on transportation needs, leaving less funds making its way towards teachers and resources for education.
Loebsack spent several days touring area school districts to talk with administrators, like Oskaloosa’s Stacy Bandy, to find out if his plan makes sense to those who would implement the legislation.
“According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nearly one-quarter of all public school students attend schools in rural areas. Among these students, one-quarter are living in poverty. Rural schools also have fewer financial resources than non-rural schools, which has resulted in teacher recruitment and retention challenges, digital learning barriers, and a lack of quality after-school programs. It is time for Congress to start providing additional resources and support to rural communities in order to ensure students attending rural schools are not forgotten,” Loebsack said in a statement released to the press.
Loebsack went on to say, “That is why I introduced the Restructuring Underutilized Resources for Advancing Learning (RURAL) Act. Specifically, the RURAL Act is comprised of four key policy components that will increase the capacity of rural schools to provide a high quality education.”
Those listed by Loebsack include;
- Provide a tax incentive for National Board Certified teachers, individuals teaching in rural or high poverty areas and school leaders in high poverty or rural areas.
- Establish an Office of Rural Education Policy within the Department of Education.
- Expand digital learning opportunities in rural areas.
- Improve and increase expanded learning time programs in rural areas.
The bill would define “rural” as any school located in a fringe, rural or remote rural locale code, as well as distant and remote towns as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics.
