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!
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.
Read more in our annual report.
