1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restructuring Underutilized Resources for Advancing Learning Act or the RURAL Act . 2. Findings and purposes (a) Findings The Congress finds the following: (1) Rural schools have unique challenges and benefits. (2) More than 33 percent of regular elementary and secondary public schools nationwide are in locations classified as rural. As of the 2010–2011 school year, more than 20 percent of public school students were enrolled in rural school districts. (3) In rural areas of the United States, 6,100,000 children live in poverty. (4) Among children living in rural areas, 24 percent live in poverty, compared to 20 percent among nonrural children. (5) Rural schools have fewer financial resources than nonrural schools, largely as a result of diminished local property tax bases and inequitable distributions of State funds. (6) There is a substantial pay gap for teachers and administrators in rural school districts. Rural teachers and administrators in the U.S. earn about $10,000 less than their counterparts in nonrural schools. (7) Rural schools have difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers. A recent survey of rural school superintendents suggests low salaries combined with social and geographic isolation are the primary factors responsible for difficulties recruiting and retaining teachers. (8) Low literacy rates among parents in poor rural communities affect the early language development and educational aspirations of children. (9) Investing in after-school programs helps children in rural communities break out of the cycle of poverty and creates opportunities for at-risk youth. (10) In areas in which resources are limited, after-school programs are often the only source of supplemental enrichment in literacy, nutrition education, technology, and preparation for college and entrance exams. (11) Children attending rural schools have the lowest median per-student funding for after-school programs under the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program under part B of