Sample Thank You Letters to the Editor Regarding the School Calendar Bill, SB 50

The following sample letters to the editor (LTE) can be used to thank legislators who voted in support of SB 50. (Click here for legislators who voted Yes.)  In using that affirmative vote as a basis for an LTE you will not only be calling public attention to the issue of early school opening and the positive impact that SB 50 can have, but you will also be reminding the public and the legislator of tourism’s important economic contributions.  On top of all that, it is always important to say thank you! 

The sample LTE’s have varying word counts, which are noted, and require minimal adaptation on your part (See bolded references in each.) Pick the one that works best for you and send it to your newspaper’s editor. It’s that simple, but it is also that important!


200 Word Option

Dear Editor,

Kentucky loses thousands of jobs and nearly $45 million a year in lost tax revenue simply because school calendars creep earlier into the summer each year.  For some communities, these earlier school start dates are working well, but for others, when schools start in late July or early August the local economy is devastated.  Members of the tourism industry have been working for years to allow school boards the flexibility to align school state dates with the tourism and economic development needs of their communities, while maintaining high academic standards.

That is why I am so pleased that Sen./Rep. XXX supported Senate Bill 50, with an incentive for school districts to start school later in August by allowing districts to adopt a variable student instruction year. The legislation also calls on local districts to establish a school calendar committee that will make a recommendation of the school calendar to the superintendent, ensuring more voices can be a part of the scheduling process.

Thanks to Sen./Rep. XXX local communities now have options to help their local economies thrive while protecting our academic standards necessary to our students’ success. 


150 Word Option

Dear Editor,

Sen/Rep XXX deserves praise for supporting SB 50, which provides an incentive to school districts to start school later in August.  This is critical to protecting jobs and the tax revenue that the tourism industry generates during schools’ summer vacations.  It also calls on school boards to create school calendar committees to make recommendations to the superintendent, ensuring that multiple voices are part of the process. 

This legislation protects school districts’ control of scheduling, and provides greater flexibility through variable student instruction years so that each district can enact a schedule that works best for their students and community. 

I am hopeful that superintendents and school boards across the state will consider the full ramifications of the early opening of our schools and will use this new flexibility to meet the needs of our students while allowing the prosperity that our local communities desperately seek.


150 Word Option

Dear Editor,

As a member of the tourism industry, I applaud Sen/Rep. XXX for his/her support of Senate Bill 50, which provides an incentive for school districts to start later in August by allowing them to adopt a variable student instructional year. This proposal will have a lasting impact not only on school districts who can choose what is best for their individual needs, but also for Kentucky’s economy as it will increase our tax revenue.

A later start date will allow businesses to maintain normal open hours, since young workers will have longer summer breaks. Families will also have more time to explore Kentucky’s regions together, resulting in higher tourism spending statewide.  

To allow school districts to construct schedules based on instructional time rather than number of days promises flexibility for our schools while maintaining high academic standards.


150 Word Option

Dear Editor,

While many young students may hate to see their summers cut short by ever earlier school start dates, those of us in the tourism industry see the harm caused in dollars and cents. In 2014, an early school start date resulted in 6,000 jobs and millions in state and local tax revenue lost. I thank Sen/Rep XXX for supporting Senate Bill 50, with its incentive for school districts to start later in August by allowing districts to adopt a variable student instructional year.

The legislation also aims to include more voices in the scheduling process by urging local districts to establish a school calendar committee; this committee could then make recommendations based on local needs directly to the superintendent.

I encourage superintendents and school boards across the state to consider the full ramifications of the early opening of our schools.


200 Word Option

Dear Editor,

I commend Rep/ Sen. XXX on his/her support of Senate Bill 50 as it will give school districts the flexibility to align school start dates with the tourism and economic development needs of their communities, while maintaining high academic standards. When Kentucky implements early school start dates, we lose thousands of jobs and $400 million in lost expenditures. Shorter summers also result in a big hit to our state and local tax revenue. This legislation will allow communities to prosper.

Senate Bill 50, which takes effect in the 2018-2019 school year, provides an incentive for school districts to start school no earlier than the Monday closest to August 26. Those districts choosing a later start date may adopt a variable student instructional year, allowing them to create a school calendar based on instructional time, rather than number of days.

It also creates an opportunity to engage more Kentuckians in this important process. The legislation calls on school districts to create a school calendar committee that will recommend the school start date to the superintendent. In this way, the bill focuses on allowing each community to address their own specific instructional needs while boosting our state-wide economy.