The study explores how literacy sponsorship (Brandt, 2001) is constructed in a United States rural region by focusing on the discourse of rural teachers and students. Data included interviews with teachers and students, classroom observations, an environmental print literacy scan, and analysis of community and classroom-based texts. A multi-cycle coding approach was used to develop thematic findings. Overall, the findings demonstrate that schooling and teachers serve as the recognized literacy sponsors in the community while the role of parents as active literacy sponsors and place-based literacies went unrecognized. Two aspects of sponsorship were apparent: 1) the value of interpersonal relationships and 2) the adherence to normative, placeless English language arts curricula. Instead of seeking out local texts, participants demonstrated their professionalism as stewards of the educational trust enacted in these communities which does not accommodate critical perspectives. Implications for literacy educators include the need for the larger community of critical literacy educators to addresses rural learners as central to our collective work at both the policy and research level.