While the industries that gave these communities their names may have shrunk or left, in some cases, people remain and continue to live a rural lifestyle, away from the hustle and bustle of big cities.

But with that distance can come a lack of opportunities for employment and education, difficulty obtaining vital broadband access or receiving life-saving health care, among other challenges.

One school district in Tyler County is trying to end generational poverty for its students by providing them opportunities for higher education and employment, all in the hopes of preventing another rural community from fading into American history.

RELATED: Rural Texas is the state’s foundation. And it’s in jeopardy.

Along Farm Road 92 in southeastern Tyler County sits the unincorporated community of Spurger.

Anchored by the intersection of Farm Roads 92 and 1013, the boundaries of the community are vague. With only a Family Dollar, a couple of convenience stores, a hardware store and a restaurant or two, the town is defined more by its people and geography than its commercial offerings.

With a total district population of just over 350 students, the entire Spurger school system sits on one stretch of land similar in size to that of just one of Beaumont’s high schools.

“We’re about an hour from most industries, refineries or any opportunities for work,” said Spurger ISD Superintendent Morgan Wright. “So, our kids are largely cut off from those opportunities where they can simply drive down and attend a job fairly easily.”

As with much of East Texas, for a long time timber was Spurger’s main industry. But automation changed that.

“The amount of folks that you used to have in the woods, you don’t have (them) anymore — the machines have taken over,” said Wright, who’s in his fifth year as Spurger ISD superintendent.

RELATED: Inside a bus, East Texans get the health care they can’t afford or find anywhere else

Paper mills in neighboring counties and communities and refineries in still further neighbors are the main sources of employment for Spurger residents, aside from the school district itself.

“Most folks, if they live here, they drive in somewhere (for work),” Wright said. “There’s not an industry here other than the timber industry — a few oil field jobs, but generally those are on the road, it’s not an office job or a place where (Spurger) is their location and they remain all the time.”

Wright said Spurger graduates typically stay in the area, some of them obtaining a technical degree and working in a mill or refinery, but maintain their residence in Spurger.

“What I do see for the kids here is they would prefer to stay,” he said. “Now, you’re always going to have a few that are wanting to move off and do some things, but as a whole, what I’ve seen since I’ve been here, most of the kids want to remain in the area if they can find something that allows them to have a high-wage job and support themselves. It’s a beautiful area, it’s quiet and there’s not a lot of bustle.”

School districts in urban areas typically receive other types of built-in support from the their communities that rural districts often don’t have access to, such as the YMCA or other large organizations.

RELATED: Spectrum to expand broadband into rural Jefferson County

“When you’re spread out, it’s difficult to have those little support systems at your fingertips,” Wright said. “Not to say it’s not there, but it’s a 45 minute drive before you can get to them.”

Instead, in communities like Spurger, activities such as hunting and fishing take the place of after-school programs.

“This area is rich with that kind of environment,” Wright said. “(The students) enjoy doing that sort of stuff. They’re very well connected with their families.”

The only way to break the cycle of generational poverty is to provide students with a skill or ability to go to college, Wright said. A majority of the programs the district implements are in pursuit of that goal.

Spurger High School is being primed as a Pathways in Technology Early College High School, a designation denoting an open-enrollment high school that allows students who are least likely to attend college an opportunity to receive both a high school diploma and a credential and/or an associate’s degree, according to the Texas Education Agency. 

A welding program that provides an opportunity for certification upon high school graduation is currently in the works, Wright said.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Once in a lifetime grant finalist Lamar PA gets visit from Commerce officials

Another program in the works that Wright said the district believes is fit for a rural lifestyle is web design.

“Students that have that kind of tendency, they can go through web design and stay here in Spurger,” he said. “What we’re seeing, is if you have a certification from (Lamar Institute of Technology) for web design, it’s roughly about $25 an hour starting out. If you can get the four-year degree, (you’re) looking at about $40 an hour. That’s not based on where your location is — you can be here, working web design for a company in Seattle, as long as you can do the work.”

Additionally, the district offers business classes in finance and accounting, among other areas, as well as agriculture courses.

Wright said the district is looking to take advantage of opportunities that allow students to remain in the area and still make a liveable wage.

“We don’t want to lose rural,” he said. “Rural has such a character about things. In years, decades passed, we’ve seen a lot of brain drain — you have people that are graduating and they leave. We need to figure out how we reinvigorate a rural economy and rural America. We’re doing our little part in trying to reinvigorate that.”

RELATED: New program available for future fire fighters, EMTs

Over the past decade, rural America lost population for the first time in history due to fewer births, more deaths and more people leaving rural communities than moving to them, according to research by University of New Hampshire Sociology Professor Kenneth Johnson.

The key to any rural school district’s success is developing partnerships that can provide support, Wright said.

One of the crucial partnerships Spurger has is with the Deep East Texas College and Career Academy, comprised of six Deep East school districts including Burkeville, Jasper, Kirbyville, Newton and Woodville and higher education institutions Lamar Institute of Technology and Stephen F. Austin State University.

The alliance creates an opportunity for high school students to earn college credits and stackable certifications that provide college-level career and technical education and general education college courses, according to the organization’s website.

“Through (the alliance), we have kids that can do (emergency medical technician) or fire training,” Wright said. “We have a couple of kids that are going to do EMT training and they will go to Jasper in their senior year and finish up their training.”

Spurger provides transportation to the Jasper-based facility that also offers automotive technician training and other technology-centered courses.

RELATED: Jasper broadband drama intensifies

“When I was a high school principal, there was always that desire — you see these opportunities with these larger schools in Houston that have a career tech center and the things they offer are just astronomical,” Wright said. “You think, ‘How do we do that for our kids?’ We sat down as superintendents and began discussing (a partnership) because we all had that desire to support those kids. And it’s beneficial because you don’t have the facility and you don’t have the staff, don’t have the finances, so pairing together helps all of us move to something different that we couldn’t have (otherwise).”

A common challenge in rural communities is broadband access, and it’s one Spurger knows well, Wright said.

While the district itself maintains a steady connection, walking a just a few yards off district property proves a challenge to Internet connectivity.

Wright said he often finds students who have graduated sitting in their cars in the parking lot, using the district’s Wifi to complete online college homework assignments, which the district is happy to provide.

“As long as we can provide it to support the community, we will,” he said.

Spurger is a 1:1 district, meaning that each student has access to a Chromebook. 

RELATED: NICHOLS: Newton Co. gets $9M for broadband

As with arguably every school district across the nation, Spurger is looking to get back to a pre-COVID-19 “normal.” Many of the district’s annual events have returned for the first time in-person since the onset of the pandemic, such as “PIE Night,” celebrating parents involved in education.

The district has a lot to celebrate, too. When the state education agency released its accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year — the first such ratings since the pandemic began — Spurger saw a triumph.

The district improved its overall score 26 points from a D rating to a B rating — the largest improvement of any district in Region 5.

Its elementary school was ranked one of the top 10 in the region with a score of 89 — up 40 points from its failing grade in 2019.

“There is no magic bullet,” Wright said. “It was a lot of hard work and making adjustments. Everybody was involved in that — teachers, principals, counselors — everybody just had to roll up their sleeves and go to work on it.”

Wright described the previous failing designation as a “scarlet letter” of sorts, an unwelcome and unsightly brand.

RELATED: Accountability ratings show increase in A-, B-rated Region 5 districts

“I realize the state has painted this F, but the kids are enjoying themselves,” he said. “They’re learning, they’re working. There’s a lot of good things that you don’t get to see. They worked hard moving out of that and I’m proud of what they’ve done.”

Most of the students who graduate from Spurger High School and go on to attend college are first-generation college students.

“First-(generation) students typically have a difficulty breaking into college, whether it be a four-year or even a two-year (institution),” Wright said. “We’re trying to create that avenue that allows them to move out. I tell parents and teachers, we’re not trying to make (the students) better than everybody else. We want to give (them) opportunities that allows them to choose some things that they may not have had the ability to.”

As such, the district has invested time and resources into preparing its students for life after high school in more ways than just academically.

Located in the high school, the district has a “Go Center,” a redesigned space comprised of two former classrooms, now opened up into one large space fit for meetings, seminars and other activities.

To the left upon entry, visitors are greeted with a wall of t-shirts from various colleges and universities as well the military branches, each with little cards underneath identifying former Spurger students who have attended the respective institutions.

RELATED: See the top 10 rated elementary schools in Southeast Texas

“The t-shirt wall was an idea that I had — I wanted students to know that kids graduate from little bitty ol’ Spurger High School and they go on to college, they go on to lots of different colleges in different areas,” said district Student Success Coach Mandy Willis. “Now, the kids look at that and they go, ‘Oh, that’s my cousin,’ or ‘Hey, that’s my brother.’ They see that and they strive to get themselves on that wall.”

All college applications begin with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a document that can be tough for students and parents alike to complete.

The district brings in parents as well as students and walks them through the application process. Spurger incentivizes a 100% FAFSA completion rate by showcasing students who meet the deadlines. By late October, the high school had 100% college application rate.

Partnerships with Lamar Institute of Technology and Stephen F. Austin State University, among other institutions, have been very beneficial to the district, Wright said.

As a distinguished partner of Stephen F. Austin State University, Spurger students are offered unique opportunities that include guaranteed admission and enhanced services to eligible students including waived application fees and a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000.

RELATED: Check out Southeast Texas’ top rated middle schools

“I appreciate (the institutions),” Wright said. “They’ve been very good at listening to us.”

Above all, innovation is Spurger’s key to survival.

Partnering with Collegiate Edu-Nation, a network of rural school districts in Texas and West Virginia, Spurger is looking to change the way K-12 education is done in some respects.

Since 1947 to present day, students have been expected to obtain up to a 12th-grade education. But, that expectation is outdated. Nowadays, most jobs that offer liveable wages require some kind of post-secondary certification or degree.

This has led to the creation of the P-20 Model, a educational system that supports students from childhood through adulthood, aimed at trying to better prepare students for employment or higher education when they graduate high school.

The model is expected to be tested on the incoming cohort of Spurger students entering eighth grade next year. Guided by the P-20 Model and Pathways in Technology Early College High School, a goal will be set for at least 70% of those students to have 60 hours of college credits with no debt before they graduate high school.

RELATED: See Southeast Texas’ top-rated high schools

“The P-20 part of it is we will offer a couple of avenues here that if you want to stay (at Spurger ISD), you can graduate with a bachelor’s degree and never leave,” Wright said.

The program is at least four years out from being put to the test, but Wright believes it be the key to further student success.

One of the benefits of a smaller school system is Wright’s ability to walk through the schools each day and get to know each of its employees and students, he said.

“You don’t have to get in your truck or vehicle and drive somewhere — I can just walk out (there) and be in the elementary, high school, I can be in the cafeteria in just a few steps,” he said. “The personal connection that you can have from the superintendent’s office to anywhere on campus and whatever you’re doing, I think rural lends itself very well to that.”

He encourages the same of staff members. The members of the cafeteria staff in particular reach out to students who are more withdrawn.

“There are a couple of students that I know they don’t eat alone because one of the ladies here goes out and sits and talks with them at lunch so they don’t eat alone,” Wright said. “They have really developed that relationship with some of these kids. One in particular has truly just come out of her shell because someone else has talked to her.”

RELATED: Tyler County district attorney suing Netflix

The district’s partnerships extend beyond those that provide additional educational opportunities. The district partners with the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office and Woodville Police Department to provide security support and back up since the district cannot maintain its own police force.

At least one off-duty officer is present on campus each day, Wright said.

The district is moving toward the Guardian Program, which will allow certain, certified employees to carry firearms on campus.

“It’s just a nature of where things are right now,” Wright said. “It’s not against the sheriff’s department or anybody, but when you’re so far out, (you have to think about) response time.”

Spurger — the school district and community itself — is looking to change its perception, one Wright says has sometimes been negative, though he doesn’t have an explanation why.

“If you start looking at (Spurger), it’s a good place,” Wright said. “It’s a great little place with a great school, great community.”

RELATED: Man who allegedly burglarized Comesneil church has been arrested

The district’s Transportation and Maintenance Supervisor Doug Jenkins, who’s worked for Spurger ISD for 17 years and lived in the community his whole life, said that the community has sometimes lagged behind surrounding areas in terms of social acceptance, but added that now it is more tolerant than in generations passed.

Jenkins said the community has also struggled with a reputation of having a drug problem. That, in addition to the district’s periodic academic struggles, didn’t always make it a popular destination.

But, in his 17 years with the district, Jenkins said he’s seen vast advancement and opportunities that he never could have imagined as a student himself.

“When I was growing up, we never even thought about going to college,” he said. Back then, students were expected to get a job with one of the various lumber companies and contribute to their households, sometimes even before graduating high school.

Wright said he’s working hard to change Spurger’s perception and expose students to a variety of things outside their own community.

RELATED: ‘Trees are Southeast Texas:’ Local groups voice concern over TxDOT corridor expansion

“We want them to have that exposure and be ready to make that transition to whatever job or profession, college or any type of higher and post secondary education that they want to go to,” he said. 

Schools are fundamental building blocks for every community. In a place like Spurger, they’re the anchor that can keep the community from drifting away.

“You see a lot of these little communities where the schools have gone away or consolidated,” Wright said. “And those communities aren’t there anymore. They’re almost forgotten. There’s a sign you drive by and say, ‘Oh, that’s so-and-so,’ but the load of what’s happening is not there, it moves.”

Wright has witnessed the phenomenon in his own home of Sabine County through his father, who grew up in the unincorporated community of Bronson. 

RELATED: EDITORIAL: Rural areas show their grit after Harvey

In the early 1960s, the Bronson school district consolidated with that of Pineland. By the time Wright was old enough to remember, Bronson was just a pass-through town with one convenience store.

“All the businesses had moved out,” he said. “There was no school there so all the kids went to Pineland or West Sabine — it killed that town.”

Schools are one of the first things prospective families ask about when looking for a place to move, Wright said.

“That’s a big deciding factor, bringing those new families in and then establishing themselves and contributing to the community,” he said. “The school is a large part of drawing them here.”

Through all of its trials and tribulations, the future of Spurger could be bright, given the chance.

olivia.malick@hearst.com

twitter.com/OliviaMalick