The problems of rural students at risk of school failure and incompletion are in many ways similar to problems of urban low-income children and young people. These problems include poverty, unemployed parents, substance abuse, low self-esteem, child abuse, and sexual activity. However, children in many chronically depressed and isolated rural communities also face the educational disadvantages of underfunded schools, family and community values that are inconsistent with modern career orientations and instrumental schooling, and loss of local schools due to consolidation. A case study of Braxton County, West Virginia, and its school system focuses on a small town, Burnsville, and its one remaining school building, which houses elementary and middle schools. Continued economic decline since the 1930s led to massive outmigration, and both factors diminished the local tax base and prompted school consolidation. In the face of a high prevalence of at-risk factors, the school district has pursued several strategies: (1) implementation of "effective schools" guidelines, such as high expectations and emphasis on basic academic skills; (2) district support of community libraries and youth programs; (3) aggressive pursuit of outside grants for supplemental programs; (4) development of caring school environments that enhance children's self-concept; (5) dropout prevention through student advocacy teams; and (6) student visits to businesses and higher education institutions. (SV)