In this work, we characterize educational and school governance in Argentine high schools of rural contexts during the health emergency produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. We identify the factors and strategies that favored the continuity of the schooling process in “rural contexts”, from multiple primary and secondary sources of qualitative and quantitative data (results of the ENCP -National Evaluation of the Pedagogical Continuity Process-, interviews with high-school level provincial directors, and with principals of private and rural high-schools of the different jurisdictions). The uniqueness of these high schools was not addressed in the regulations. As to school governance, we noticed a considerable display of institutional autonomy to adapt to the conditions of schooling in rural contexts. School culture marks in rural schools have had a key role for school governance, whilst revitalizing its meaning.