Each year, NREA affiliates join together for Hill Day in Washington, DC, to advocate for the issues impacting rural communities. In 2026, over 20 advocates made the journey, and together we visited over 60 congressional offices to speak on rural issues.
The morning began with policy briefings from T-Mobile, the US Department of Education, the Coalition for Education Funding, the National Grange, AASA, and BASIC. Then our advocates dispersed to speak with their state representatives.
Our messaging changes each year to represent the current issues most impacting rural schools. This year, we focused on the following issues (click any to view the full one-page summary):
- Fully Funding IDEA
- Cybersecurity and Broadband
- Prioritizing Health and Wellness
- Federal School Tax Credit
- Title I and CTE
- Investing in Educators: Title II
“NREA Hill Day reflects the strength of rural advocacy in action. Our members showed up prepared, informed, and committed to ensuring that the needs and lived experiences of rural schools were clearly represented in conversations with congressional offices and in the national education agenda.”
Thank you to our 20+ advocates for taking the trip to Washington, DC, and to those that listened to the voice of rural America. NREA will continue to advocate on these issues year-round, and will be on the hill again next spring!
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The National Rural Education Association (NREA) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization in the United States. As the trusted voice for rural education, the NREA advocates for every rural learner, educator, and community. The NREA envisions strong rural schools and communities where education is the catalyst for resilience, opportunity and success.
