Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Senator Clinton Introduces Legislation to Benefit Rural Students

Manchester, NH -- On Friday, July 13, Senator Hillary Clinton, in a bipartisan collaboration with Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), introduced the Rural Students College, Career, and Community Readiness Act of 2007. This legislation will establish partnerships between non-profit entities and rural school districts to improve the educational and career outcomes of rural, low-income students. With over 50 percent of its schools located in rural areas, a large portion of New Hampshire's students stand to benefit from the bill.

"This is an essential piece of legislation in helping students throughout the state develop career awareness and build leadership skills," said New Hampshire State Senator and member of the campaign's National Rural Steering Committee, Deborah Reynolds. "Senator Clinton continues to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the specific issues that rural communities face."

New Hampshire has over 68,000 K-12 students enrolled in rural schools. Though New Hampshire's rural school districts are more financially sound than most others throughout the country, the distribution of operating revenue among the individual rural school districts is among the most unequal in the United States.

Senator Clinton is a strong supporter of rural and small town America. She has worked to expand broadband access in rural areas and to spur economic development. Last year, the Senator delivered a major speech calling for new strategies to preserve the quality of life and keep good jobs in rural and small-town communities.