A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE
August 29, 2000

Contact:
Alex Wohl
(202) 401-3026

STATEMENT BY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION RICHARD W. RILEY
Regarding Why Rural Matters: The Need for Every State to Take Action on Rural Education,
a report by The Rural School and Community Trust

Many Americans would be surprised to learn that a fourth of all the nation's children attend small and rural schools. That's because so often inner cities and suburbs are the focus of attention. In visiting these schools [rural schools along the Mississippi River] I find a lot of imagination, a lot of excitement, a lot of just plain hard work. School matters to the people of these communities and it's clear that despite some of their unique challenges, the children here can, and I am confident will, succeed. We may have small towns, but we have no small minds. All children are important. We need to pull together, in a responsible, bipartisan way, to make sure that every child has access to a quality education.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Riley is accompanied on his "Success Express" bus tour by Rural School and Community Trust President Rachel Thompkins. A link to the Trust report, as well as photographs from the bus tour, are available at the department's website, www.ed.gov/offices/OPA/success/.