Abstract
Rural school districts, even many consolidated districts, are generally smaller and tighter systems compared with their non-rural counterparts, meaning those holding formal authority and responsibility have closer relationships within the system (Wargo et al., 2022). With small economies of scale, superintendents of remote rural school districts often serve as directors of athletics, special education, operations, and technology, while performing other duties such as teaching middle school math and shoveling snow. On one hand, this closeness means those holding governance roles likely have more direct contact with their constituents, making building relationships, seeking community support, and gaining perspective of stakeholders potentially easier. School board trustees and the superintendents that support high levels of student success for all students have a common vision (McAdams, 2000) and use data to set goals and monitor progress (Lamont & Delagardelle, 2009).