poor little rich district: the effects of suburbanization on a rural school and community

Contextualized in relationship to other case studies about rural districts that have experienced population growth and decline as well as in relationship to the small sociological literature on "boom towns," this study considered the dynamics that seem to be interfering with one previously rural and now suburbanizing district's ability to address an academic mission. The research followed a structured case study protocol, with researchers gathering data from interviews with 31 members of the school community, including board members, educators, parents, and nonparent community members. In addition, the researchers reviewed relevant documentary and archival evidence. Analysis of data revealed three themes. The first theme was called "identity crisis" because it characterized a serious tension between district identity grounded in historical circumstances and an emerging new identity reflective of current circumstances. This tension promoted significant ambiguity with respect to district goals as well as the practices undertaken to realize goals. A second theme, therefore, was named "goal ambiguity." A final theme called "ambiguities in resource allocation" focused on the difficulties that district leadership faced in making judgments about how best to use limited resources. Because the district was dealing with ambiguous goals and the inconsistencies in practice resulting from goal ambiguity, decisions about resource allocation seemed to be made without much attention to long-range or strategic plans.