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Urge your senators to extend the Secure Rural Schools program
Almost 20% of America’s students attend rural public schools, including schools in counties that are home to substantial tracts of national forestland. In these areas, students and educators are often forced to make do with far less than they need because the forestland is non-taxable. With this lower tax base communities struggle to sustain vital public services.
Students in such communities may lack up-to-date textbooks and technology. Their school buildings, which serve as community gathering places, may be old and dilapidated. Educators are often asked to teach outside of their subject areas because recruitment and retention are challenging.
The Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, created to compensate counties for non-taxable public land, provides funding to approximately 4,400 school districts in 700 counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico. The money supports other public services, including law enforcement, emergency services, and road maintenance.
But currently, the last authorized payments under SRS will be distributed in the spring of 2027. A bipartisan bill in the Senate, S. 5608, would extend this crucial program.