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Article by Chloe Chiles Troutman
Google Maps will tell you that Central High School is located in Hampshire, Illinois, but really it’s in Burlington. It’s not in Burlington, Vermont or Burlington, Ontario, like some College Board websites might have you believe. It sits on a hill overlooking signature midwestern cornfields, and has students hailing not only from small-town Burlington, but suburban Elgin as well. While the landscape may look boring and uniform to some, to me it was home for four years. Central High School has done the opposite of what many rural schools have; it has expanded. In the two years since I graduated there has been a new addition added to the high school because of the overflow of students coming in. However, this is primarily due to the increase of housing developments being built in the nearby suburbs. Central is not the quintessential rural high school, but an example of a school in a small-town that is becoming increasingly affected by suburban sprawl.
This expansion has fortunately brought an increased number of ambitious students asking for more from their school. Students in the past couple years coming from first-generation and underrepresented groups banded together to form Central’s first Diversity Club. Other activities were added as well such as bowling, tennis, and bass fishing teams. Despite both a strong Sports and Musics Boosters group led by persistent parents, funding and participation by staff for academic clubs can be hard to come by. With high taxes and long commutes, many teachers have left the Central community in the past few years and job openings are now commonplace. Asking teachers who already run other clubs, are coaches for sports teams, or teach many classes to take on even more is difficult. This is why Central has never had a debate club. Student interest was there, but curriculum and supervisors were needed, as well as funds. Debate could only be found at schools in suburban neighborhoods or private schools that had these resources. In an urban setting, if a student can not find the activity they are interested in at school, they can go to the local park district or can find outside centers that provide these opportunities for kids. In rural communities, if parents or teachers can not take on this extra responsibility, it is a dead-end for kids looking to pursue what they want. Rural schools act as these community centers for students, families, and community members, therefore when they are limited in resources, there are few other places to go.
Even with these setbacks, Central still has valuable opportunities for students like AP classes and a robust veterinary exchange program that partners with other schools to teach students veterinary medicine, welding, and carpentry. Programs like this are what make rural schools different from urban schools, because they adapt to the specific needs of students from rural communities. Many rural students won’t go to college for one reason or another, so schools attempt to find alternatives, or to establish transitional programs from high school to college such as our veterinary science program. One way these needs are identified by school administrations is because the staff working at rural schools often come from these areas. Most of my teachers came from my town or the surrounding towns while I was in high school, so they had a special understanding of the dynamics of the school system.
Central High School’s expansion in the last ten years from suburban sprawl has brought many new sources of engagement for students within the school district, but there are still limits in what the school can provide. However, Central does its best to act as a community center for families in the area and its commitment to increase opportunities for students is what inspires me to provide opportunities like a debate program to rural schools.
Chloe is a current student at the University of Chicago and a Central High School Class of 2022 alum. She is originally from Chicago, but spent her middle and high school years in Maple Park, Illinois, and she is now an Outreach Coordinator volunteer for RuDI.
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