Sample Letters to the Editor

Here are three sample letters you can send to the editor of your local newspaper urging sufficient funding to schools:

Dear editor,

The 2017 legislative session is nearing a close, but the session’s most important work remains undone: cost containment and revenue reform so that we can adequately pay for our public schools. The good news is that there remains time in this legislative session for our elected government leaders to lead.

The children of our state need the additional revenue being discussed currently in House Bill 2830. And our students are depending upon real cost-containment measures beyond what is in SB 1067 and SB 1068 (PERS), to assure the additional revenue will reach the classroom.

Instead of hurrying to end the session and head home, our legislators should be focused on finding a sustainable way of paying for our government services, especially schools. Our students are depending on them.

Sincerely,
[your name]

Dear editor,

For weeks now we have been hearing our legislative leaders in Salem say that revenue reform and cost reductions are necessary so that we can invest in the future of Oregon: our K-12 students. Yet now legislators appear to be giving up on revenue reform and are suggesting that we cut our school budgets by hundreds of millions of dollars. They have not even put the revenue reform question to a vote. There remains time in this legislative session for our elected government leaders to lead. Instead of hurrying to end the session and head home, they should be focused on finding a sustainable way of paying for our government services, including schools. Our students are depending on them.

Sincerely,
[your name]

Dear editor,

Recently our local [name here] School District began a budgeting process for the next two years, as required by Oregon law. In the meantime we have awaited word from Salem on how much would be allocated to the State School Fund. On Thursday, legislators proposed a figure of $8.2 billion for the next biennium – $200 million less than what is necessary for most schools to maintain services at current levels. Here in [name of district/city here], this budget proposal spells disaster for our students. [Explain why as specifically as possible as far as program cuts, layoffs, lost school days]. I write to urge our elected leaders to oppose any proposal that will lead to further cuts in our underfunded schools. Instead, they should be addressing ways to reduce cost drivers and tackle revenue reform so that we can sustainably pay for our government services, including schools.

Sincerely,
[your name]