Las Animas - Bent County Library District

Colorado's rural districts are a major part of the state's 178 school districts yet only comprise 20 percent of the total student population in the state. While these rural school districts often have small student populations, they represent critical aspects of Colorado's education system.

The Rural Education Council provides rural superintendents and organizations that support rural areas regular opportunities to interact with and advise the Colorado Education Commissioner about the needs, challenges and opportunities of rural districts.

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) sought to better understand blended learning in rural areas of Colorado, why fewer opportunities exist in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas, and what changes could help create opportunities for all Colorado students. Research methods included a literature review, survey of rural districts, and phone interviews with a subset of survey respondents. Eighty-four percent of survey respondents reported...