To the Editor,

In 1963, North Carolina took the initiative in providing an innovative summer program for gifted and talented high school students by establishing the Governor’s School on the campus of Salem College in Winston-Salem. The nearly six-week program provided a challenging curriculum that gave the students an opportunity to explore specific areas of study in which they had shown particular aptitude or talent as well as to introduce them to new ideas many had rarely encountered in their local schools. The program expanded to a second campus in the eastern section of the state in 1978 and has spawned similar programs across the nation.

I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend Governor’s School West (1971), and it changed my life. It opened my eyes to worlds I never knew existed and made me a better person. The challenges it provided pushed me to be a more independent thinker and unleashed a creativity I never knew existed within me. The experience also brought me into contact with people who made a powerful impact on my life then and throughout many years that followed.

Our legislature is currently considering the new budget, and there is the possibility the funding for the Governor’s School could be eliminated. The Senate’s version of the budget did exactly that — entirely eliminate funding for Governor’s School. The House saw fit to include full funding for the program in its budget. The representatives are to be commended for stepping forward and recognizing the value of this great institution.

I call on both houses to do the right thing. Stop the downward path our educational system has taken in recent years and do not eliminate one of the few jewels we have remaining. I also call on every citizen who believes North Carolina should be a leader in education to contact your state representative and senator and urge them to vote to keep the funding in the budget for the Governor’s School. They need to hear our voices.

Steve Tyner

Franklin