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Rural schools face significant challenges in upgrading their technology infrastructures. Rural school districts tend to have older school buildings that have multiple problems and lack climate control, adequate space, and necessary wiring. In rural districts, it may be difficult to find the leadership and expertise needed to provide professional development, create an appropriate technology plan, and manage and maintain building and system infrastructures. In addition, rural districts may not have local companies available or willing to partner with schools in technology projects, and staff members may not have the time or experience to write grant applications for technology development. Wayne (Nebraska) Community School District overcame these difficulties through a collaboration with Wayne State College, the chamber of commerce and city council, local businesses, federal and state agencies, and the students themselves. In 1992, a districtwide committee of diverse stakeholders developed goals and identified needs for a comprehensive technology plan. During the plan's implementation, the nearby college was a constant resource. Stages in the plan included installation of a computer lab, distance education activities, expansion of technology infrastructure with a corporate grant, and development of a communitywide computer network. Lessons learned from the Wayne experience concern the needs for careful planning, continual training of staff and students, and a vision for the future. (SV)

Rural schools often have difficulty in developing and implementing a 21st century, K-12 technology plan. This report describes one rural school district's (Wayne, Nebraska) successful efforts at technology integration. It discusses the efforts of installing 25 networked computers in the local high school, linking buildings with fiber-optic cables, automating the middle school library, and creating a distance education program by upgrading software and hardware to link the schools to the community via the Internet. The report reveals that rural schools can succeed in integrating technology into the curriculum, but it takes a united effort combined with the rural districts' willingness to seek help from regional and state agencies. (GR)

A partnership between Wayne State College, Wayne (Nebraska) community schools, and the local chamber of commerce produced fiber-optic telecommunications, Internet access, technology integration, automated libraries, computer networking, and a technology curriculum. The article describes project design, implementation, and growth, as well as distance education programs and WayNet, which provides Internet connections to rural communities. (LAM)

What happened in the small farm community of Elk Point, South Dakota, on January 8, 1986, was unimaginable--a father shot his family and then walked to work and shot himself. Upon learning of the murder/suicide, the Elk Point School District faced the difficult questions of what teachers should say to students, how the district should deal with the news media, and what responsibilities various staff members should assume. After the initial shock, it became apparent that students and the community needed help learning to accept the tragedy. A community crisis team evolved that identified the needs of the community, identified resources inside and outside of the community, and developed a plan for assisting the entire community. The committee agreed that lack of communication within the family and within the community could have led to the murder/suicide. They organized a workshop with the idea of family communication as its focus. The format was a drama followed by small discussion groups with trained counselors acting as group leaders. The drama was a positive first step. The next steps will be workshops to promote the skills needed to communicate within the family. (JHZ)