In his study of upstate New York, Casey Thomas Jakubowski reminds readers of the contentious history and politics of rural school consolidation, as well as the feeling of loss that follows school closures. Attending closely to the voices of small-town residents, he brings a rigorous but humane perspective to issues of rural education that too often remain overlooked. A thoughtful investigation into the role of community and place in sustaining public education.

Campbell F. Scribner, author of The Fight for Local Control: Schools Suburbs, and American Democracy

Some two centuries ago, white common schools emerged in the rural American northeast as a precursor to our modern public system. Today, rural schools and the communities they serve are often a policy afterthought, even as 'rural America' enjoys an outsized share of political power. In this creative and thoughtful book, Jakubowski challenges readers to look afresh at the complicated relationship among rural school districts and between them and state government.

Benjamin Justice, Rutgers University, past president of the History of Education Society

Rural Education History: State Policy Meets Local Implementation is a must read for anybody who is involved in education, and especially rural education, including those who make important decisions about rural schools. Grounded in relevant research, with the use of ethnography and Jakubowski’s own research in the educational policy implementation in rural areas, Jakubowski uncovers hidden narratives about rural education and meticulously recounts the nature of rural communities in order to offer lessons to learn for those who are involved in decisions pertaining to rural schools.

Barbara Vokatis, SUNY Oneonta