Ida wants desperately to finish eighth grade so she can go to high school and, eventually, become a teacher. The sudden loss of Miss Fletcher forces Ida and her rural community to confront the importance of education and, despite resistance by some residents, take a stand for the value of knowledge in a modernizing world.

Elk Valley in 1925 is a farming community where farm work comes before everything else. If the animals aren’t fed, or the crops don’t get brought in, a family could starve. Despite this, the locals also believe their children will benefit from learning to read and write, knowing basic math, and understanding the history and values of their country. To this end, they establish a schoolhouse where kids can get a primary education.

When the teacher, Miss Fletcher, suddenly must move away, school board chairman Mr. Jordan uses the chance to save money by cutting short the school year. Like many farmers, he doesn’t see much use in teaching kids things they can’t use on the farm. He especially takes issue with educating girls: He believes they’re mainly good for raising babies and keeping house.