A community meeting about the charter idea drew about 150 people, Jeffery said, the largest town gathering he can remember outside of Friday night basketball and kindergarten graduations.

One concern that was voiced was that a charter school would collapse when the federal startup money runs out and it had to return to reliance on shaky state funding. Paisley's federal grant stops flowing in May 2005.

But consider the alternative, said Linda Banister, who teaches social studies and English.

"If it is postponing the inevitable, well, then we are going out in an exceptional way," she said. "If we are going to cease as a school, we will cease on our own terms, doing the best we can."

Jeffery thinks enough has changed since the charter began to allow the Paisley school to survive past the end of the federal funding.

The school fired a math and English teacher, and their subjects were taken over by others. The curriculum is more tightly focused on state testing standards. The cafeteria was replaced by a volunteer lunch program. Students have been taught to do some janitorial duties.

And then there are the cows.

With about $10,000 of the federal money, the school district bought five heifers and one bull, and ranchers let the animals graze for free. The idea, said agriculture education teacher DeNae Sims, is to raise money by breeding the cattle and selling their calves.

Jeffery said he knows that while Paisley has bought some time by changing to charter, the school is still vulnerable.

"We believe what we have built here is a system that can continue to operate," he said. "As long as we don't lose too many more students. Our hope is to last long enough to see changes in funding and tax structures that could enable rural education to survive."