Independent Study

“The hardest part is getting through the day without feeling too lonely.”

Amber Leetch, Student at Sunset School

Photo by David Reber’s Hammer Photography

You’ve heard of a one-room schoolhouse, right? But have you heard of a one-student school? Or, better yet, a one-student school district? Welcome to Sunset School District 30 in Greenough, Montana (population 250).

The district has only one school, one teacher and one student. But this isn’t the story of an impoverished rural area struggling to survive. Quite the opposite—it’s the story of a prosperous ranching region too pricey for families with school-age children to afford. For the one child, Amber Leetch, whose family does live in the area, the school spares no expense. Its $83,000 budget allows for an electronic whiteboard, three computers and 100 percent one-on-one time with the teacher.

Still, Amber gets a bit lonely at school. So the school sprang for one more item this year: Bayley, a three-month-old school dog.

Read more → Jim Robbins, One-room school also one-student school, New York Times, January 29, 2012.