Ohio voices call for rural support over school shutdowns

Farah Siddiqi

Ohioans were among dozens of rural leaders who gathered in Iowa this month, urging lawmakers to protect public education, small businesses, and working families.

They said policies gutting local resources are destabilizing schools and harming rural communities.

Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said the effects of disinvestment hit rural communities harder, where losing just one school or hospital can have outsized consequences.

"All these institutions that we rely on have an even more significant impact in rural areas because of lack of options," Cropper explained. "When a rural hospital closes down, it creates a great hardship. When voucher money goes to private schools, it has more of an impact because they don't actually have private schools to attend."

Some lawmakers argued closure mandates hold schools accountable and push for improved performance. Others said more investment is needed in wraparound services, early learning and fair funding.

Michael Chameides, policy director at the Rural Democracy Initiative, said Ohio is not alone. Rural communities across the country are pushing back against policies favoring the ultra-wealthy while essential services are underfunded.

"There's just been so much chaos with the federal government as it takes a chain saw to these valuable programs that support working families and small businesses," Chameides observed. "We really should be going the opposite direction."

Participants in the 2025 Rural Policy Action Summit said the path forward includes listening to local leaders, funding community schools, and protecting labor rights. They want lawmakers to strengthen, not sideline, the people and places keeping rural Ohio running.