Nearly one in four of Washington’s schools are located in rural areas, and half of all rural districts are smaller than the national median for enrollment. Socioeconomic challenges are a serious concern, with rural adult unemployment rates higher than all but six other states. The percentage of Washington’s rural students who are English Language Learners is the 11th highest in the nation. The amount of state and local revenue available to rural school districts varies dramatically from district to district, and educational outcomes are near the midpoint for the 50 states, ranking Washington 29th in the U.S. in need of rural education attention and improvement.