Nearly one in five American students attend a rural school. Yet when policymakers debate the future of education, rural communities are often left out of the conversation.

That’s a disconnect Michigan State University researcher Sheneka Williams hopes to change.

In a new chapter published in the Live Handbook of Education Policy Research from the Association for Education Finance and Policy, Williams and graduate student Summer Hopper argue that many education policies fail to account for the realities, diversity and strengths of rural America.

“Rural schools educate a significant portion of our nation’s students, yet they are often not at the center of conversations about education policy,” said Williams, who is chairperson and a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the MSU College of Education.

One reason, Williams said, is that many Americans still hold outdated assumptions about rural communities.

“When people think about rural communities, they often think about white communities,” Williams said. “But rural America is very heterogeneous.”

Rural communities in the South often have large Black populations, while many communities in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains are home to significant Indigenous populations. Other regions have growing Latino populations. Yet despite those differences, rural schools are frequently treated as a single group when education policies are developed.

That oversimplification matters. The implications extend far beyond rural communities, said report co-author Hopper, a doctoral student and University Distinguished Fellow in the Education Policy program at MSU.

“Because one in five students in the United States attend a rural school, rural education has a prominent impact on our economy, our political landscape and education as a whole,” Hopper said.

Although every rural community is unique, many schools face common barriers. Students often travel long distances to school, have fewer opportunities to enroll in advanced coursework and may encounter obstacles to participating in extracurricular activities.

“Place matters,” Williams said. “Where students live shapes the opportunities available to them.”

At the same time, rural schools possess strengths that are often overlooked.

In many communities, schools serve as gathering places and anchors of civic life. Teachers frequently know students and families across generations, creating relationships that extend well beyond the classroom.

“The school and the community are almost one and the same,” Williams said.

Additionally, rural students graduate from high school at higher rates than their urban peers, yet they are less likely to enroll in college. Williams said those outcomes reflect both the strengths of rural schools and the limited opportunities many students face after graduation.

But earning a high school diploma shouldn’t be the finish line for every student. The next challenge is ensuring rural graduates have equitable access to college, careers and technology.

“Access matters,” Williams said. “Students in rural communities deserve the same opportunities to pursue their goals and contribute to their communities.”

Williams said ensuring rural students have equitable access to opportunity will be essential for the future of their communities.

That starts with expanding access in three key areas: technology, advanced educational opportunities and postsecondary pathways.

Reliable broadband and digital technology can connect students to learning opportunities beyond their communities. Expanding access to advanced STEM courses — including physics, chemistry, computer science and artificial intelligence — can better prepare students for college and careers.

And strengthening pathways to higher education, career and technical education, apprenticeships and workforce training can help students pursue their goals while supporting the long-term vitality of rural communities.

Williams hopes the chapter encourages policymakers to move beyond stereotypes and develop education policies that reflect the diversity, strengths and needs of rural communities.