Forested Districts: Save the Secure Rural Schools
and Communities Act		  
Dear Senator or Representative:

As Superintendent of the ________ School District, I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding Congress’s failure to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act (Act). Annually, the Act provides our County schools with ___________. These funds provide a broad spectrum of educational opportunities for our children.

As our Congressional Representative it is essential that you understand the impact that the expiration of the Act, and the subsequent loss of revenues, will have on rural school children. Below, are a few of the major impacts that will be felt in our community:

Impact on Education Opportunities for our Children:

  1. Loss of Teachers: Our school district will be forced to reduce teaching staff by a minimum of ____ teachers.

  2. Loss of Education Programs: Electives, many of them upper level as well as remedial and counseling programs will be eliminated. This will put our children at a distinct disadvantage when competing for admission into Universities and as scholarship recipients.

  3. Loss of Education Tools: New text book adoption will be severely limited as well as our ability to procure additional classroom equipment and technology.

  4. Loss of School Maintenance Funds: Funds used for school maintenance will be further limited. This creates an additional burden on local revenues as the State mandates schools set aside and account for maintenance of each building and for specific activities.

Every child in our community is impacted by the loss of these funds. Indeed, these impacts extend far beyond the child in the classroom…. they impact the future of our county, state and nation.

If we fail to provide a quality education to children, regardless of where they live, we diminish our ability to compete economically, care for our elderly and produce responsible citizens of the future.

While there may be appropriate, ongoing discussions as to the equity of the formula used to distribute the dollars provided by the Act; that discussion should be held after this year’s funds are secured. That discussion should not alter our responsibility of our school children’s needs, nor should that discussion alter our understanding of the required immediate action to ensure that these needs will be met.

After March 15th there is no turning back, we will be forced to terminate employees and cut off funding for schools! At that time, the full impact of the termination of the Act will be felt!

Reauthorization for one year must happen immediately! Please support the one year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act in the Supplemental Spending Bill.

Sincerely,

Superintendent