Rural schoolchildren still left behind.

• Position: Your Life

While the Federal government struggles to leave no child behind, many rural schools do not have the resources to keep up, indicates John Hill, executive director of the National Rural Education Association, West Lafayette, Ind., a Purdue University-based group that pursues educational equity for rural school districts. Hill maintains that lawmakers and educational pundits often overlook rural educational challenges that differ widely from those faced by urban schools.

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"With programs like No Child Left Behind, the Federal government is seeking to better our students' educations, but we need to be sure to remind the government that rural schools especially need help in funding the mandates government imposes."

Hill, also a visiting professor of educational studies, says that schools in rural areas often face financial challenges uncommon in urban settings with a larger tax base from which to draw needed funding. "When you look at the big picture, about 70% of the districts across America are rural districts, but they make up less than half the students," he explains. "Since funding is often tied to enrollment, one of the...