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Trump administration says it's halting Harvard's ability to enroll international students; Post-George Floyd, MN communities drive Black wealth building; FL's fluoride ban sparks concerns over dental health; Despite barriers, TN adults want college degrees.

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A deadlocked Supreme Court prevents nation's first publicly funded religious school, House Republicans celebrate passage of their domestic policy bill, and Trump administration sues states for taking climate action.

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Despite lawmaker efforts, rural communities still short of crucial broadband, new Trump administration priorities force USDA grant recipients to reapply, and Appalachia's traditional broom-making craft gets an economic boost from an international nonprofit.

School year begins in WY’s few remaining one-room schoolhouses

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Friday, September 6, 2024   

It is back-to-school season and for 11 students in Sheridan County, Wyoming, it means returning to a one-room schoolhouse.

The Slack School was built in the 1880s and is Sheridan County's last operational one-room schoolhouse. Inside, there are historical photos on one wall, a chalkboard, a piano for students to take weekly lessons and a propane furnace, a 1966 upgrade from an old coal-burning stove.

Like in any other classroom, iPads and Chromebooks modernize the space.

Ashlee Gorham, an elementary teacher at the Slack School, said the technology also helps her instruct four different grade levels in one day.

"We're on a big rotation all day long and trying to hit all those grade levels and all those different learning targets to the best of our ability," Gorham explained.

Gorham teaches kindergarten through fourth grade at the Slack School, which is part of Sheridan County School District No. 1. Students then move to the Tongue River School system in fifth grade.

Gorham pointed out a paraprofessional works with small groups too, often in the neighboring teacherage, where teachers historically lived. The kids must be able to learn independently but Gorham said the family-like setting means they help each other out, too.

"The older kids take the little ones under their wing and they all work to do their best," Gorham observed. "These kids, they come from ranch homes and they have great work ethic, they have great morals. It's just very easy to be their teacher."

The Slack School is one of 18 across the state with three rooms or fewer.


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