An interesting study came across the desk recently – an August report issued by the Rural School and Community Trust that examined issues relating to our school systems.

Saturday, October 14, 2000

An interesting study came across the desk recently – an August report issued by the Rural School and Community Trust that examined issues relating to our school systems.

Here’s a few of the report’s findings.

Ohio has the fifth largest rural population in the nation. Less than one-sixth of Ohio’s students are in rural areas, but:

– 1 in 4 of Ohio’s rural adults have less than a 12th grade education.

– One-fourth of Ohio’s teachers teaching out-of-field teach in rural areas.

– Ohio has one of the highest rural student-teacher ratios in the nation.

– Ohio’s rural average teacher’s salary is lower than the state average.

Education reform advocates are claiming the report as further evidence that the state has not perfected an equal and fair system of educating our young. And, they would be right.

Successful teaching should be supported by a state funding method that does not let districts, or sets of districts as evidenced in the trust report, fall behind.

Anything less, of course, is unconstitutional.