Who we are...On September 26th 2008, Governor Paterson signed S-7124/A-10201 creating the New York State Center for Rural Schools, to be housed at Cornell University. Supported by the Senate, Assembly, the Governor and the Bi-Partisan Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, this Center has galvanized interest across the state. By statute, the Rural Education Advisory Council (REAC) serves as the Advisory Board for the Center for Rural Schools.Our mission...Goal 1 – The Center will help build connections between rural schools and their communities, the broad resources of Cornell University, other universities in NYS, key partners including the Rural Schools Association of NYS, the Rural Education Advisory Committee, and a broad range of organizations that can provide assistance to rural communities.Goal 2 – The Center will build data capacity to reduce the costs to researchers and school and community leaders to conduct their own evaluations and research.Goal 3 – The Center will facilitate research on the interplay between community and economic development, school organization and improvement, STEM and other curricular issues, short and long-term educational outcomes, and educational pipelines to higher education and the labor market.Goal 4 – The Center will partner to assist Cornell faculty and other interested parties to secure grants to better serve and study rural communities.What we do...The New York State Center for Rural Schools aims to be a leader in solving systemic problems and improving opportunities, practice, and policy for rural schools and the communities they serve. The Center is working with many partners to assist rural communities and the state of New York to (re)create socially and economically vibrant communities across the state of NY.Communities across the state are experiencing declining populations, changing demographics, declining property values, increasing property tax rates, increasing healthcare and pension fund costs. Communities are also challenged to support improvements in their public schools to meet the new Common Core standards and the upcoming PARC assessments. Moreover, during the 2010 legislative session, a proposal to cap school property tax levy increases to 2% was passed, thereby constraining districts’ ability to raise local money to backfill for cuts or level-funded state-aid. School district reorganization (i.e., consolidation) is another issue that is continually discussed and Governor Cuomo’s Education Reform Commission will most certainly tackle this issue in the coming months. It is in this context the Center aims to provide timely and valuable service to New York State.