Purpose: This literature review explores the status of gifted education within the confines of predominately rural districts, such as those in Louisiana, in an effort to increase awareness of some of the unique struggles of both gifted programs and students. Findings: Topics addressed in this paper include: (1) the prevalence of rural schools in the American educational system; (2) financial and systematic issues pertaining to rural educational systems; (3) historical and modern definitions of giftedness; (4) challenges facing identification programs incorporating modern definitions of giftedness within their operational framework; (5) limitations of services for gifted students offered in rural districts; (6) status of Louisiana in meeting identification and service recommendations; (7) and possible cost effective solutions for rural programs. Conclusions: Despite challenges and pervasive problems within the areas of finances and human resources, as well as the tendency to use historical, rather than modern, methods of identifying and serving gifted students, there are cost effective and achievement orientated solutions for gifted programs in rural schools and districts.