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Louisiana teachers worry about state constitution changes. Ohio experts support a $15 minimum wage for 1 million people. An Illinois mother seeks passage of a medical aid-in-dying bill. And Mississippi advocates push for restored voting rights for people with felony convictions.

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Biden says the U.S. won't arm Israel for a Rafah attack, drawing harsh criticism from Republicans. A judge denies former President Trump's request to modify a gag order. And new data outlines priorities for rural voters in ten battleground states.

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Some small towns in North Dakota worry they'll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Report: Room to improve for WA's rural students

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Thursday, January 11, 2024   

Washington does well in a new report on how states are supporting rural schools, but it still shows there's room for improvement.

The National Rural Education Association's Why Rural Matters 2023 assessment ranks Washington in the top 15 for its backing of rural schools.

Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association, Allen Pratt, said there's still work for lawmakers to do, such as assessing how money is spent on rural schools.

"Is that dollar amount or the funding model in Washington state really hitting the needs of rural districts," said Pratt, "or is it more modeled or more set up to help urban and suburban districts?"

The report shows Washington state is struggling in a few areas.

That includes rural enrollment at public preschools, at about 25%, and the percent of rural gifted students who are female, which ranks among the fifth worst percentage in the nation.

Pratt said the report is simply a starting point. He said he hopes it can provide some guidance in legislative sessions this year across the country.

"It highlights yeah, we're scoring well on this but there always could be room for improvement," said Pratt. "So, it gives them kind of a legislative idea or identity of here's how we need to lay out to help ourselves out."

Pratt said the needs of rural schools is often overlooked, which is why his organization compiled this report. He says regardless of their ranking, every state in the nation could better serve rural students.




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