"It's kind of like pre-planning for that rainy day that they never experienced but may still come, " Mr. Musso said.

WSJ: Rye Brook Markets the $20,000 Public School

Schools around the U.S. muddling through challenging economic times are trying to make do with less, said Mr. Musso, who called Blind Brook's recruitment program an "interesting concept" to raise additional money.

WSJ: Rye Brook Markets the $20,000 Public School

Some districts around the U.S. often try to lure away students from neighbors to compete for state aid based on enrollment figures, said John Musso, executive director of the Association of School Business Officials International, in Reston, Va.

WSJ: Rye Brook Markets the $20,000 Public School

His attachment to the locality is so strong that he hopes eventually to open a bar in the tiny village, which is an impressively humble aspiration for someone who is also about to open a brewpub in New York in collaboration with Teo Musso (Baladin), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River).

FORBES: Birra del Borgo: Coming for Your Taste Buds