Letter to the Editor 8-28-20

Dear editor,
Your Participation in the 2020 Census Is Critical for Our Children’s Future
Teaching – much like everything else – looks different these days. As the principal at Concordia Elementary School USD 333 and the Superintendent of USD 333, we know. While the classroom looks different, needs remain the same.
Now more than ever, we must work together and do what we can to make sure our children have the resources they need. That is why it is so critical to count everyone – especially our children – in the 2020 Census.
The census determines each state’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and helps decision-makers in Washington, D.C., Topeka and Concordia determine how to allocate funds for programs that serve children – including those we are proud to teach – in our community and other small towns.
Counting everyone in your household, including children, ensures they will be included in the 2020 Census. This is important because census statistics help determine funding for the next 10 years for new schools and programs such as special education, teacher training, rural education, Head Start and nutrition assistance. Yet young children are among the populations historically undercounted in the census.
So please be sure to count all children in your household, including babies born on or before April 1. If we do not count everyone our area could lose critical funding for programs, including those that support education, for the next decade.
By now you will have received information about how to fill out the 2020 Census.  We encourage you to respond promptly at my2020census.gov, by calling 1-844-330-2020 or by mail. So far, 67.1% of the households in Concordia have responded, but we need to count everyone. Help ensure our children count and that we are taking this important step to shape their future.
Derek Holmes, principal
Quentin Breese, superintendent
Concordia, KS