With 68% of all public schools located in rural areas and serving two-fifths of the state’s students, public education in Montana is among the most rural in the nation. Socioeconomic challenges are critically high, with nearly one in six rural Montana families living at or below the federal poverty line. The percentage of rural English Language Learner students is the eighth highest in the U.S. Overall instructional expenditures per pupil are above average, but instructional salaries are low and there is considerable disparity in the level of funding made available to local districts. All of this ranks Mondtana 14th in the country in need of rural education improvement and attention.