Michigan is a predominantly urban state, yet its rural schools serve nearly 370,000 students—the seventh largest rural student population in the U.S. Indicators of socioeconomic stress are around the national midpoint in the state’s rural schools and communities, with the exception of rural unemployment rates, which are the fourth highest in the nation. Rural student diversity is ranked as important, with a large and rapidly growing minority student population. Schools and districts are relatively large and there is inequity in the distribution of resources. Though salary expenditures are high, rural student outcomes are critical, with only average scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and a low graduation rate. All of this ranks Michigan 33rd in the country in need of rural education attention and improvement.