There are five basic types of rural communities as far as school issues are concerned; rural schools vary not only to the extent that they are small, but also according to the type of community in which they are located. "Stable rural" communities are our classic rural community--prosperous, peaceful, traditional, and mostly white. In "depressed rural" communities economic insecurity abounds, outmigration is high, local economy is often undeveloped, and there is a moderate to high minority population. The "high growth rural" community faces problems inherent in rapid growth: inadequate school facilities, housing, and services coupled with problems which existed before a "boomtown" came into being. "Reborn rural" communities attract a refugee population from the city seeking a rural lifestyle; they are converts to that lifestyle, and they are zealous defenders of many traditional rural customs and institutions. "Isolated rural" communities have many characteristics of the other types, but isolation leads to separate problems (transportation, commerce, and cultural activities are all affected). Each rural type has its own set of strengths and problems. In order to improve rural schools, equal educational opportunity must be established and a strategy or combination of strategies most appropriate to unique local situations must be found. (AH)