As part of an ongoing investigation to determine the locational behavior of single-family-housing residents on the metropolitan fringe, a pilot study was conducted which simulated residential choice by asking respondents to rate the economy, convenience, and desirability of rural housing descriptions relative to a standard suburban residence. Four…

The history of the emergence and eventual success of the Mountain Towns' Teacher Center (MTTC) in South Central Vermont is embedded in the socio-historical development of the area and in the process of educational change. In the late 60's and early 70's the skiing industry created an influx of exurban populations which altered the patterns of…

Rapid population growth in rural areas has confronted rural communities and particularly rural educational systems with a number of problems. Sudden, large increases in students crowd school facilities and strain budgets. The different values, attitudes, and orientations toward education of the newcomers act as a catalyst for changes and can cause…

Shifts in residential and racial distributions of school-age children and public school teachers in rural areas of the state of Louisiana are analyzed to provide an increase in information available concerning those areas. Impetus for the study was provided by a trend on the part of researchers to concentrate on urban phenomenon to the neglect or…

Population grew faster in nonmetro than in metro countries of the United States between 1970 and 1973. This trend reverses the previous pattern of inmigration to cities. Among the reasons for increases in rural areas and small towns are: (1) decentralization of manufacturing and other industry; (2) increased settlement of retired people; (3)…

Census data and mailed questionnaires were used to test three hypotheses about unemployment impacts: labor-market infusion, labor-market overload; and a balance of positive and negative impacts differing with occupational status. Results showed that blue-collar persons--both newcomers and long-term residents--experienced much higher unemployment…

Migrations to the Sun Belt, exodus from urban areas, the aging of the baby-boom generation, and single-parent families are significantly altering the needs and priorities of America's schools. (Author/JM)

Case study describes a depressed rural New York community that became a migration destination for urban poor people, causing dramatic increases in poverty rate, welfare rolls, and service needs. In-migrants were attracted by low-income housing and, because of their limited job skills, were not deterred by lack of jobs. Discusses community impacts…

This paper examines the imbalance in representation of native-born Mainers on the school board in Mount Desert Island, Maine. Mount Desert Island is the location of Acadia, the second most visited national park in the United States. In this community, native-born Mainers represent 68 percent of the year-round population, but 80 percent of people…

This paper addresses problems associated with rurbanization, which is the invasion of rural areas by affluent urban and surburban people seeking a "country" lifestyle. There is a distinction between lifestyle--which reflects an individual's values, attitudes, and affluence--and culture, which is a design for living adapted to a group's…

The Southern Rural Development Center in cooperation with the University of Kentucky sponsored a workshop which brought together extension and research personnel interested in rural economic development concerns (i.e., inadequate water supplies, sewer systems, and schools). The proceedings include "Community Growth Management: The Land-Grant…

Out-of-state persons moving to Maine during the July through December period of either 1980 or 1983 were queried to determine why they chose Maine, what their levels of satisfaction were with life in Maine, and in what activities they participated or planned to participate. The majority of the 417 survey respondents were from large counties in the…

All through the 1970-1980 decade, growth of population took place in the rural and small town areas of the United States where very little had occurred in earlier recent decades. In general, the trend can be viewed as one that was primarily socially motivated but facilitated by improved rural economic conditions. By contrast, in the first 3 years…

Enrollment changes between 1970 and 1976 in the 504 public school districts in Pennsylvania were examined in light of "turnaround" (revival of growth in nonmetropolitan areas). Each district was classified into one of four categories according to the size of the largest urban place in the district, so that enrollment changes within…

Aging of the national population coupled with shifts in long-term redistribution trends have sparked interest in the spatial distribution of the elderly population. The insufficiency of economic models for explanations of elderly migration has been recognized and new approaches are being developed. Findings regarding the effects of retirement,…