Dear Milan School Community Member:
I am writing to share very important information about an event that will take place in the Spring of 2020: the U.S. Census. For more information, visit https://2020census.gov/.
The census is a count of all people living in the United States and takes place every 10 years. It is simple and confidential to complete. For the first time, you can respond online. You will receive a unique identifying number in the mail, which will allow you to fill out the online form beginning in March 2020. It will ask questions about your household such as how many people reside in your home, date of birth, race, and sex. Here are some things you should know:
Your identity remains anonymous. Any personal information you provide on the census form is protected by law and cannot be shared with anyone or any other federal agency. Regardless of your immigration status, the information cannot be used against you or to invade the privacy of you or any members of your family.
The census is important. The census is important because it helps to decide how much federal money our schools will get over the next 10 years, and how much money our state will get for our parks, neighborhood improvements, public health, transportation, and many other programs and services. For Milan Area Schools, this means federal funding for school nutrition programs and supports for students with special needs, who come from poverty, who are learning English, and/or for disadvantaged students. These funds support our efforts to help all children meet the challenging state academic standards by providing a well-rounded education. Milan Area Schools receives hundreds of thousands of dollars each year from federally funded programs. Many of these dollars are determined using Census data.
The census is safe. All data collected through the census is protected under Title 13 of the U.S. Code. Records are confidential for 72 years by law. All U.S. Census Bureau employees swear a lifetime oath to protect respondent information. The U.S. Census will never share a respondent’s personal information with other government agencies. Data is only released in summary tables; no individual records are released. The penalty for wrongful disclosure is up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.
What do you need to do? Complete the short and easy form online. If you don’t have a computer at home, you can use one at the Milan Public Library.
Your kids count, so make sure to count them when you fill out the census form in the Spring of 2020!
Sincerely,
Bryan M. Girbach
Superintendent - Milan Area Schools
