ABSTRACT
Leading educators and reformers have endeavored to "save" America's rural schools by rearranging or replacing them. Tens of thousands of small rural schools and school districts were either eliminated or required to consolidate during the course of this reform movement. This chapter traces the gradual urbanization of rural schools— the events that shaped it and the regional patterns that emerged. Prior to the 1830s, education was primarily the responsibility of the family. Education compulsory in most states—was accepted as a legitimate state function. The actual implementation of rural school consolidation fell far short of the goals set by its proponents. As corporate capitalism became increasingly dominant, local autonomy and small schools came to be seen as the enemies of "progress." Official policies about rural schools and school districts have historically been directed toward massive consolidation, centralization, and standardization. The schools have changed, rural conditions have changed, and educational needs have changed.
