For Immediate Release — Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Contact:  
Lee Conner @ 919-260-6165 | President, GSF
Melissa Matton @ 919-264-6876 | Vice President, GSF

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As the NC House considers how to respond to the NC Senate’s proposed plan to eliminate the NC Governor’s School, Legislators received an outpouring of support for the nation’s oldest statewide summer residential program for academically gifted high school students.

In response to a call to action from the NC Governor’s School Foundation, voices from every corner of the state spoke out about the positive impact of Governor’s School in their communities, families, and personal lives. In less than 10 days, over 20,000 people visited www.savegovernorsschool.com to learn how they could contact their legislators, write their local newspapers, and encourage their friends and families to support Governor’s School.

“Today a diverse group of Governor’s School alumni (an estimated 31,000 N.C. taxpayers) holding key jobs in the areas of industry, scientific research, politics, education and health care aren’t giving up on funding,” wrote Antionette Kerr (Gov. School Class of 1995) in a letter to The Dispatch. “Those summers together taught us to love this state enough to fight for its intellectual future.”

In Raleigh, legislators and their staff reportedly received thousands of emails and hundreds of calls less than one week after the Senate passed its proposed budget. Advocates for Governor’s School have received positive responses from key North Carolina Legislators currently considering funding levels for Governor’s School in the proposed House Budget.

“We feel hopeful that the leaders in the North Carolina House understand the vital role that Governor’s School plays in developing the future leaders of our state,” said Governor’s School Foundation Vice President Melissa Matton. "Many of our elected leaders already understand what a tremendous return on investment Governor’s School delivers to the state. For only about $30 a day in state appropriations, some of our most gifted and talented young people - more than 70% of whom remain in NC as adults - are able to participate in a life-changing intellectual experience that enhances their ability to contribute to our economy and society."

“The North Carolina Governor’s School continues to be a sound investment for the taxpayers of the Old North State,” Zach Ward wrote in a letter to the Wilson Times. “The loss of as unique and transformative a public program as the Governor’s School would be a great blow to North Carolina students, families, schools and communities, and, once lost, would be impossible to restore.”

The unified expression of support for Governor’s School included not just alumni, but community and journalistic voices as well. The editorial board for the Winston-Salem Journal published its support for the summer enrichment program, describing Governor’s School as “a feather in the cap that provides adventurous, creative young scholars an opportunity to learn from some of our best teachers. It’s a testament to the power of the intellect and a statement to the rest of the country that North Carolina understands the importance of education and innovation.”

The North Carolina Governor’s School Foundation was incorporated in 1990 as a non-profit whose purpose is to support and preserve North Carolina's premier summer enrichment program.

Learn more about the Campaign to Save Governor’s School at www.savegovernorsschool.com or on Twitter by using #SaveGovSchool.

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