I grew up in a small town in Maine (Kennebunkport, population about 5,000). We had one elementary school and went to high school in an adjoining next town. Seeking options, a group of desperate parents ran a cooperative Montessori-style elementary school, called the School Around Us, which my sisters attended. Many high school students chose a 1-hour bus ride to another town in the district where they could attend a slightly larger (and newer) high school. Many other students, including myself, spent tens of thousands of dollars to attend private schools. I was lucky – I qualified for scholarships and had a father willing to work 2 jobs to pay for boarding school. That's not always the case.

I witnessed substantial demand for better options while growing up in Maine. There is little, if not zero choice in rural communities. There is pent-up demand, substantial community involvement, and I suspect lower overhead costs for facilities, teachers, and the like. So tell me again why we shouldn't encourage charter schools in rural communities?

Ps.: The Portland, Maine metro area has a population of 230,000. The city itself is geographically small, but is surrounded by a few equally-dense municipalities.