Welcome to AIRSS.

Welcome to the AIRSS (Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools) web page. The Association was chartered in 1987 with the purpose of presenting a unified effort to promote educational excellence in rural and small schools in Illinois. In 1994, LOCON (Local Control) merged with and became an affiliate of AIRSS to solidify us as the ONLY statewide organization that helps to promote and enhance education in rural and small schools in every community and location of Illinois.

Our emphasis is to give identity, voice and recognition to rural and small schools and their local communities.

We are here for you!

Meet AIRSS’s Three Newest Board Members

At this year’s Illinois Association of School Administrators annual conference in Springfield, the AIRSS Executive Board met to share...

The AIRSS Team Represents Illinois at the National Forum to Advance Rural Education in Tennessee

The National Rural Education Association’s (NREA) annual National Forum to Advance Rural Education (NFARE) was held in Chattanooga,...

The AIRSS Executive Board Celebrates SB1787 with Attendees at the 2023 IASB Joint Annual Conference

The AIRSS Executive Board and Program Director John Glasgow recently made their way to the Illinois Association of School Boards Joint...

You're Invited: AIRSS Triple I Session

Leadership, Policy & Voice: Rural Education Advisory Council Friday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. Hyatt East, Plaza A/B, Lobby Level...

WIU Opens New Center for Rural Ed

This past Friday, a new chapter for rural education research and advocacy was celebrated when the Arlington and Arlene Seymour Center for...

Several Rural and Small Illinois Schools Receive 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award

The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools is proud to join the United States Department of Education in recognizing the...

The end and beginning of SB1787 seems to be an oxymoron, but quite the contrary. In 2016 the process began to find the right avenue to cement and solidify a place for the rural school voice in Illinois. As the work progressed, it became clear that our rural friends in Colorado had found the mechanism to accomplish this goal in a very positive and engaging way. The work in Colorado to create the Rural Education Council in state statute within the Colorado Department of Education system became the model for the work we would pursue in Illinois.