You count at Mexico 59

You count at Mexico 59
Posted on 04/01/2020
Today is National Census Day. Completing the 2020 Census is a way to shape our community and our schools. Kids deserve safe buildings, great resources, and highly-qualified staff. We won’t get that without your Census count! Here are some reasons we need you:

School lunches: Last school year, Mexico 59 served over 258,000 meals to students. Knowing how many children are in an area helps the government determine funding for nutrition programs and helps feed our kids. 

Programming: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education.

Resources: Local monies that fund agencies to prevent child abuse, to prepare for emergencies, and to provide housing assistance for older adults are funded by Census counts.

Roads: We need government funds for road planning and construction for the safety of your morning commute, children riding our bus routes, and students driving to school.

Funding: Schools request local dollars through bond and levy issues. Filling out your Census will ensure we get appropriate funds for our population from the government to help alleviate local asks. 

Representation: The results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets; this is our voice.

If you aren’t one of the 35% of people in Audrain County who have already filled out your Census, the Bureau is encouraging you to do that now, and be counted where you are living and sleeping most of the time as of today, April 1, 2020. If you are responding for your home, count everyone who lives and sleeps there most of the time, including young children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with you, even temporarily. If someone is staying with you due to COVID-19, they should be counted where they usually live. College students should be counted “at college,” since they would normally still be in session.

Your census can be completed online, by phone, or on paper.  With everyone hunkered down inside and online, this is a great time to complete the Census electronically; it took me less than 10 minutes. I received a letter in the mail from the 2020 Census with the website and a special code for login. You can also get started by visiting 2020Census.gov or call 844-330-2020. Households who have not responded by May will be contacted directly.

In the school system, we often hear, “How can I help?” This is it! Now is your time to shine. Census 2020 will determine how millions of dollars of federal funding will be allocated here in our county, and we need to do our part to support our community and our schools as we partner for teaching, learning, and caring. #MEX59TLC #MexMOCounts