2010 Census Materials

INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO: 001
POLICY CODE: JD

TO: Superintendents of Schools FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner DATE: July 8, 2009 RE: 2010 Census Materials

The U.S. Census Bureau is promoting an education program, “2010 Census: It’s About Us,” which it is sending free to principals.

According to the Census Bureau, the units are designed to match grade levels and will provide teachers with lessons that meet core standards and feature fun skill-building activities in map literacy, graphing, reading, writing, and civic responsibility.

In Maine, apportionment of school boards is based on census population data. Also, some State and many federal programs allocate funds based on census population data. Your school administrative unit benefits from everyone in your community filling out and returning the census questionnaire. The system only works if everyone is counted, regardless of age, race, or citizenship status.

Census data are used to determine funding for Title I programs, special education programs, college grant and loan programs, public transportation, and road and community improvements.

Make sure you and your students and their families are counted in 2010. Visit http://www.census.gov/schools to find out more about the program. The site includes sample letters to your principals and other information.

Over the next year, your principals will receive a principal’s kit with 10 large U.S. wall maps and 10 quick-start lesson guides; a teaching guide - free downloadable lessons, worksheets, and resources for grades K–12; additional lesson plans – new materials for Census in Schools Week at http://www.census.gov/schools ; and family send-home materials.