Leading Experts Convene, Rural School Funding

11/11/2002

From: Kathy Westra, 202-955-7177 or Greg Malhoit, 919-931-6260 Both of the Rural School and Community Trust

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The Rural School and Community Trust (Rural Trust) and the University of Nebraska College of Law will convene a national gathering of school finance experts, leading lawyers, rural advocates, and educators in Nebraska City, NE, on Nov. 13-15 to discuss ways to improve funding and educational opportunities for students attending the nation's rural schools. The conference, "Mobilizing Resources for Rural Students," is the first national gathering ever to address the broad array of issues in this complex and rapidly evolving legal and policy arena. The conference will be held at the Lied Conference Center.

"Good public schools are critical to the well-being of rural children, many of whom live in poverty," said Rachel B. Tompkins, Ed.D., president of the Rural School and Community Trust. "Yet many rural kids do not receive the equal or adequate education they deserve because most states still rely on local property taxes to fund education. If rural students are to realize equal educational opportunities, we need to define an education funding system that ensures both adequacy and equity. That's what this conference is all about."

According to Professor Anna Shavers of the UNL College of Law, "How and at what level rural schools should be funded is one of the most important issues facing policymakers and the courts in virtually every state in the nation. Sponsorship of this conference by the UNL College of Law is consistent with our public service mission of providing and encouraging the development of legal expertise on cutting edge legal and public policy issues."

Conference sessions will include:

-- A keynote speech by Judith Winston, Undersecretary and General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton administration and currently research professor at American University's Washington College of Law. She will speak on "Equal Educational Opportunities: The Implications for Rural Education." -- A discussion of the appropriate roles of the courts and state legislatures by Senator Ron Raikes, Chairman of the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee and Visiting Professor Preeta Bansal of the UNL Law College. -- Numerous discussions of the legal and other ramifications of rural school finance reform, including: -- why rural schools and students matter in the debate about the future of education and school finance; -- the unique needs of rural poor and minority students; -- the experiences and perspectives of activists and school leaders working on school finance reform; -- the impact of the "No Child Left Behind" Act on rural schools and their funding.

Speakers will include lawyers who have won court victories in a number of state school finance cases, leading law professors with expertise on school finance issues, and citizen activists who have successfully organized school finance reform efforts and media campaigns. Some of the papers presented at the conference will be published in a special edition of the Nebraska Law Review, dedicated to the legal issues affecting the funding of rural schools.

------ The Rural School and Community Trust (Rural Trust) is the premier national nonprofit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving rural communities. Working in some of the poorest, most challenging rural places, the Rural Trust involves young people in learning linked to their communities, improves the quality of teaching and school leadership, advocates for appropriate state educational policies, and addresses the critical issue of funding for rural schools. The Rural Trust's Rural Education Finance Center, established in 2001, is dedicated to improving educational opportunities for rural children by reducing inequities in state school finance systems, strengthening the fiscal practices of rural schools, and ensuring the adequacy of funding to rural schools. For more information, visit the Rural Trust's Web site at http://www.ruraledu.org.

The University of Nebraska College of Law was founded in 1888, and became part of the University of Nebraska in 1891. The college was among the first law schools to be fully accredited by the American Bar Association and was also a charter member of the American Association of Law Schools. Located on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, the College of Law has a rich tradition of excellence that dates back to the College's founding.