Why LeadRural?
In Texas, 78% of school districts, 959 districts, have 3,000 students or fewer.
In fact, 15 of Texas’s 20 Education Service Centers are majority rural. Moreover, the student population served by these rural districts is predominantly economically disadvantaged and students of color.
Despite their significance within the state, students from rural communities have lagged behind in college attainment and access to high-paying careers in part due to the need for system-level changes that are difficult to achieve in their isolated local context.
At the same time, there is exciting work that is happening in rural districts around college and career preparation, career exploration, and regional collaboration. This work has the potential to be elevated and expanded. The pandemic creates an urgent opportunity to identify and support rural leaders to develop tailored and sustainable solutions to ensure that their students have access to high-quality education with ample opportunities for college and career success.