Illinois’ nearly 237,000 rural students represent the nation’s 17th largest rural enrollment, yet they make up only about 12% of the state’s overall student population. Socioeconomic indicators rank consistently middle to low across various measures of wellbeing. The cultural diversity of Illinois’s rural student population is among the nation’s most rapidly changing, with a 135% increase in rural minority students over the past ten years. Over 17% of all rural students qualify for special education services--the nation’s eighth highest figure--and rural schools spend proportionally more on transportation and less on instruction than other states. All of this ranks Illinois 23rd in the nation in need of rural education attention and improvement.