Characteristics of Small and Rural School Districts. Statistical Analysis Report

Small rural school districts constitute a major portion of the public elementary and secondary sector of education. Using information from the Common Core of Data, this report focuses on the approximately 4,000 small rural school districts operating since 1986-87; their status in 1993-94; and how they changed each year during that 7-year period, drawing comparisons where appropriate to larger districts and districts in urban and suburban settings. In this report, a small district is defined as one that has less than 25 students per elementary grade and less than 100 students per secondary grade. Chapters cover the following: (1) data sources and definitions of terms; (2) enrollment size and location of small rural districts, district grade-level types, school district consolidation, and enrollment trends; (3) school characteristics (number of schools per district, school size, grade span configuration, ungraded instruction, kindergarten and prekindergarten, and school closings); (4) student characteristics (minority groups, limited English proficiency, special education, and poverty); and (5) per-pupil revenues and expenditures and student-teacher ratios. Appendices include extensive data tables and technical notes. Contains 30 references and statistical figures. (SV)