In shrinking rural towns, these Texas high schools are teaming up to stay alive
Agua Dulce, Texas — From 2010 to 2020, the population of rural America declined, marking the first decade-long loss in history, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's presented a problem for rural schools with limited resources.
But a community in south Texas has figured out a solution: five schools across four counties in several different school districts have teamed up to share speciality opportunities among students.
"We looked across the street, we looked at close neighbors and said, 'What are you guys doing well and what can we take advantage of as a school district?'" said Michael Gonzales, executive director of Rural Schools Innovation Zone, a nonprofit that runs the initiative.
Freshman Juliana Farias travels almost an hour to and from different high schools for a shot at her dream of becoming a teacher. At 14 years old, Farias is already student teaching in a kindergarten class. By the end of high school, she'll have earned an associate's degree.
"It's a great opportunity and I'm very lucky to have it," Farias said.
Across the five schools, there are a dozen specialties. Most students graduate with a trade certification and associate's degree at no extra cost. The goal is to avoid consolidating into a larger central campus like other rural districts across the country.
More than 7 million students across the U.S. attend rural schools, and educators from 46 states have traveled to south Texas for a look at the program.
Another student, 17-year-old Amber Garcia, travels about an hour each day to a different school district that offers technical education in welding, construction and electrical careers.
"The fact that they give us those programs helps me, gives me faith and makes me believe I'm gonna get out of here and I'm gonna do good things with my life," Garcia said.
