This special topic takes stock of the current state of rural education finance and policy research. Taken together the articles in this special topic highlight a major point. Rural districts and schools not only differ from those in urban areas but also differ from one another. This is perhaps not surprising given the heterogeneity of school size, community size, demographics, and the degree of rurality of schools across the United States. The articles pose a challenge for policymakers. Policies that serve one state or one rural community may not be relevant or helpful to another. Policy solutions must recognize the diversity of education challenges across and within states.

本专题评估了农村教育财政和政策研究的现状。本专题中的文章加在一起突出了重点。农村地区和学校不仅与城市地区不同，而且彼此不同。鉴于美国学校规模，社区规模，人口统计数据和学校的乡村程度的异质性，这也许不足为奇。这些文章对政策制定者构成了挑战。服务于一个州或一个乡村社区的政策可能与另一州或乡村无关或无益。政策解决方案必须认识到州内和州内教育挑战的多样性。