Despite developmental efforts and a relatively larger population growth rate in nonmetro areas since 1970, rural/nonmetro people are still behind their metro counterparts in terms of wage levels, family income, adequacy of housing, and access to essential public services like education and health care. Rural public school education lags behind metro central and suburban public school education in virtually all areas. Rural students not only attend schools with fewer support staff and services, less revenue, and less per pupil funding, but they are also more likely to enroll in school later, progress through school more slowly, complete fewer school years, and score lower on national tests than students attending metro area schools. Federal aid to metro central schools in 1972-73 was $133.33 per student, but only $91.10 to nonmetro students. Rural public schools spent less per pupil than metro central or suburban public schools in all categories except student transportation during that year. High proportions of rural students fail to graduate from high school or attend college. Since many of them do not get the higher education necessary for white collar or professional jobs, these students tend to enter the labor force in blue collar and other lower paying occupations. (Author/BR)