Sharing the Load and Joy, state by state, towns and cities alike...

The state of CT awarded STEAP grants to small towns including $500K for a transfer station for Salisbury and Sharon. Many towns have received money for upgrades while cities have been deemed deficient in basic school services. How might citizens advocate for a more of a balance with creative solutions that meet the needs of both parties, towns and cities and share the joys and burdens of rearing youth and being community?

That's a lot of ka-ching, now if we could only invite a few hundred kids from under-served areas to attend school here...that would help balance the discrepancies. Maybe even 'sister towns with recreational and cultural collaborations would help both areas benefit'. Torrington and Winsted or Amenia and Sheffield etc with the high school and grade school parents and adults..and kids with the right supervision and planned safe activities, like seeing each other's plays, sports, and learning about their towns...

Maybe host families could be allowed to provide housing and get a stipend of sorts but not have to adopt or become the legal guardian of said youth. 

The other option would be to have at least one parent live in the area, again some host families likely could make this a reality (and stay within guidelines which are numerous to allow for that.)

If more folks don't promote people moving into the area who can use the schools, likely they will be needing to shift toward a charter school model or more homeschooling.

Not to be controversial but we never seem to have time to think through practical alternatives for people in the rural areas to enjoy the four seasons with their young children (under age 10 say).

How could we start an ongoing forum to encourage more kids to enter school 'later' (to make sure all are developmentally and socially ready for the rigors of the early grades where lives are made or broken?)

Many more people would likely enjoy country living but don't have a way to dream of doing so and making that a reality. But overall keeping in motion is basically a good thing. Thanks for sharing your ideas and info here and on a wider forum when you can, including www.livfully.org