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By Jason Nevel IASA Director of Communications Reimagining Rural Leadership Kicks Off in Bunker Hill

The first dilemma at the kickoff event for IASA’s newest cohort, Reimagining Rural Leadership, was quickly resolved about 45 minutes into the session. Todd Dugan, superintendent of Bunker Hill CUSD #8 and facilitator of the cohort, discovered he wouldn’t have a second bus driver to shuttle the 49 rural educators to the different destinations planned for the event. Reimagining Rural Leadership serves superintendents, central office administrators and principals from rural schools across Illinois. Within seconds of announcing his predicament, solutions immediately surfaced. “I have my bus drivers license,” one

participant said. Another participant quickly echoed those sentiments, as did at least a half dozen educators in the room. One superintendent even noted he drove a bus route before he arrived in Bunker Hill that morning. While issues like limited healthcare, lack of industry, declining populations and lower funding levels plague rural schools— resourcefulness has never been a problem. “In some rural communities, the superintendent is also the Title Director, Transportation Director, and sometimes even the Principal,” Dugan said. “This is an area which needs improvement, and this initial rural leadership cohort will tackle that and other issues.”

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