Declining Counties, Declining School Enrollments.

Many rural areas have seen declining populations and school enrollments, which are expected to continue. Rural schools with declining enrollment face the threat of consolidation, loss of per-pupil funding, fewer instructional resources, teacher and administrator quality issues, and deteriorating school buildings. These problems are particularly severe in the Great Plains region, where many declining counties have very low population density and are considered "vacant" or "frontier" counties (fewer than two or fewer than six people per square mile, respectively). The number of frontier counties in the region has been steadily increasing since 1940. Attracting quality teachers and administrators can be a challenge in districts with declining enrollment, and this issue will only increase in urgency as No Child Left Behind is implemented. Rural states with declining enrollments have lower-than-average teacher salaries and higher percentages of teachers teaching out of their field. In addition, teachers and other staff are often overburdened in small rural districts. Lower teacher salaries are related to funding difficulties, which also impact the condition of facilities. Districts attempting to survive while ensuring quality education for their students have turned to such solutions as creative budget cuts, cooperative agreements with other districts, the 4-day week, distance learning and technology, and use of regional service agencies. (Contains 14 maps, figures, and data tables) (SV)