We were pleased to read Gov. King’s recent statement that in the future he would like to improve funding for education for Maine students. His willingness to utilize some of the $60 million of surplus for public education would be a clear indication of his intent to invest in education.

Last spring Gov. King asked the Legislature to approve a state budget which further cut the percentage of state financial support for higher education and actually reduced the dollar support for students in Orono schools. That budget was enacted much earlier than usual, with a bare majority of legislators supporting it. We were disapointed that he and a majority of the Legislature would enact a budget in the spring which failed to adequately fund education, and then discover in the summer that there is a surplus of almost $60 million in the state’s coffers.

We hope that financial support for all our public schools will, in fact, become a priority. Our children and the future of our state cannot wait. Kathleen A. Halstead, chair, Teddi-Jann Covell, Theodore S. Curtis Jr., Katherine B. Sewall, Jeanne M. Tuell, Orono School Committee