Contact Your Elected Officials

Contact your elected officials and tell them you want them to address funding inequalities in public education in their capacity.

In previous posts (Why US Federal Laws do not address educational inequality and State and Local Education Funding), I shared information about funding for public education at different levels of government and included a site to lookup your elected officials. Below is a template you can use to let them know you would like equitable funding for public education. You can use it to submit feedback on some elected officials' websites or email them if they take feedback that way.

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Subject: Student Concern: Investing in Equitable Funding for Our Public Schools

Dear [Title and Last Name, ex. Representative Smith / Senator Jones / Councilmember Davis],

My name is [Your Name], and I am a student living in [Your City/Town, State]. I am writing to urge you to prioritize and support policies that address funding inequalities in our public school system.

While I am grateful for the education provided in our community, I know that across our state and country, public school funding relies heavily on local property taxes and neighborhood wealth. This creates deep disparities, leaving schools in lower-income areas struggling with outdated materials, larger class sizes, and fewer academic support resources.

Education is the foundation of our community’s future, and every student deserves an equitable learning environment regardless of their ZIP code.

As my [Representative / Senator / Councilmember], I respectfully ask that you support:

• [For State/Local Officials]: Fair state funding formulas and weighted student funding that direct resources to districts with higher economic needs.

  
  

• [For Federal Officials]: Full funding and robust investments in federal programs like Title I and IDEA to support low-income and special education students.

  
  

• Greater budget transparency and policies that ensure equal access to high-quality classroom resources for all public school students.

Thank you for your time, your public service, and your attention to this critical issue. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on how we can improve school funding equity in our area.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your School Name, if applicable]

[Your Contact Information / Email]