Small town school boards are made up of conscientious, hardworking, and caring citizens who face arduous economic challenges and difficult educational dilemmas. The changing economy of small towns has led to fewer professionals and business owners participating in boards of education, a rift between educators who are bureaucrats and board members who tend to be entrepreneurs, and a fear of consolidation destroying the identity and cohesiveness of the community. Because of economic insecurities in rural America, small-town school boards must strive to be an anchor for American democracy. They retain the responsibility of keeping communication open and accurate among educators, students, and citizens. Based on material collected via interview and observation, this paper describes these aspects of the current situation for school boards in rural America, and identifies five exemplary practices of small-town school boards: (1) administrative action for school desegregation; (2) parent action for superior schools; (3) teacher- administrator-board communication; (4) student participation in school board meetings; and (5) board-to-board cooperation, encouraging cooperation with neighboring districts in purchasing materials, holding specialized classes, and sharing teacher. (DHP)