Census 2020

Census 2020: How it Affects our Schools and Students
Posted on 03/18/2020
CensusIt’s time to help shape our community’s future by participating in the upcoming 2020 Census. Census Day will be observed nationwide on April 1, 2020. Every home will receive an invitation to respond in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. This will be the first time households will be able to take the census online.

Have you ever wondered why census data is so important for local communities, including our schools? Data from the 2020 Census will have a big impact on the amount of federal funding distributed to Kansas for programs that impact our schools, students, and families. Results will determine how much our Seaman School District will receive in federal funds to help support special education, classroom technology, teacher training, after-school programs, school lunch assistance, and more. Census counts also impact the number of seats each state will hold in the U.S. House of Representatives and funding for hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs. The Census count helps us get back our fair share of the tax dollars we pay in to the federal government.

The Census count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census will count the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Your responses are kept confidential and the Census Bureau is bound by federal law to protect your information.

So be on the lookout for your invitation. It will only take a few minutes, but your participation will have a long-term impact, on the Seaman community and its students.

Why take the census?
• By law, the U.S. Census Bureau must deliver a report of population counts to the President of the United States within 9 months of Census Day (December 31, 2020).
• The U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2 mandates Census to provide the data for an apportionment of representatives among the states for the House of Representatives every 10 years. During the last Census, ten states lost positions while eight states gained positions.

How do I get my household included?
• All households will receive an invitation to respond online to the U.S. Census between March 12-20, 2020. Some households will receive a paper copy.
• If a household has not responded after a reminder letter and a reminder postcard, a second reminder letter will be sent with a paper questionnaire between April 8-16, 2020.

How does the census data bring dollars to Kansas?
• Census numbers are used to distribute over $6 billion in federal funds to Kansas every year.
• Federal dollars allocated to Kansas programs based on Census counts include:
• Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
• Federal Direct Student Loans
• Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Medicare (Part B)
• Highway Planning and Construction

What questions will I be asked?
• Name
• Phone number
• Age
• Sex
• Race
• Hispanic Origin
• Relationship to householder
• Household tenure (own/rent)
• Number of people in household and
• Usual place of residence

Who needs to be counted?
• Everyone in the household
• Include children from birth up
• Include everyone living in the home

What other federal dollars are represented?
• Title funds
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds
• Federal Pell Grant Program
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• National School Lunch Program
• Head Start
• Child Care/Development Block Grants
• Crime Victim Assistance
• Public Housing Capital Fund
• Career and Technical Education Grants
• Business and Industry Loans
• Low to Moderate Income Housing Loans