With two million rural people totaling more than one-third of the population, rural Tennessee hosts one-third of the state's schools and one-quarter of its students. Those schools get as much money as possible into the classroom, spending sparingly on school administration and transportation. But on average they are fairly big, make less use of classroom computers than rural schools elsewhere, and have low teachers' salaries, compared to other states or elsewhere in Tennessee. These factors make rural education very important, and the need for policy attention critical.

From Why Rural Matters 2003: The Continuing Need for Every State to Take Action on Rural Education, February 2003. Learn more about why rural matters in your state.

Walden's Ridge Cluster Three Morgan County Tennessee schools have tapped artistic, historic, and environmental resources both inside and outside of the classroom. From the beginning, high school students themselves have been assuming responsibility for curricular planning sessions, designing and building facilities, organizing local history projects, creating guides for their own nature trails, and working with civic groups to conserve local landmarks. Read more about this Featured Program Programs in Tennessee Save Our Cumberland Mountains Tenn-Ga-Lina Walden's Ridge Cluster

Why Rural Matters 2003: Summary for Tennessee

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U.S. Census Bureau

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