Federal Support for High-Quality Pre-K For All

Rationale for Investing in Rural Pre-K 4) The Resource Challenge Scarce Local Funding Rural public schools draw on local funding for only 39% of their total revenue, while city and suburban schools derive 52% and 48%, respectively.

This, too, is a chronic problem: rural schools are “plagued with limited resources.� (National Research Center on Rural Education Support) City and suburban schools often receive priority for facilities improvement and renovation, despite lack of resources in rural school districts (Rural School and Community Trust) Unsubsidized private childcare unaffordable In states with the highest proportional enrollment in rural school districts, the cost of enrolling one child in private childcare amounts to between 20 and 35 percent of earnings. Enrolling an infant and a preschooler simultaneously can cost up to 85 percent of the state median income in these states.

(NACCRRA) Childcare demand in rural areas is especially high: Among mothers with children under age six, those living in rural areas have higher unemployment rates, higher poverty rates, lower wages, and lower total family income than those in other areas. (Carsey Institute review of 2000 census data)