Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Did you know that over one-half of the state funds that have been allocated to public radio and television go toward programming for K-12 students? Did you also know that the governor’s proposed budget reduces all funding to public broadcasting?

Now that you are aware of this, let me remind you that alerting your state legislators to this cut may, in fact, restore some of the funding to WHRO, a service that has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of programming to our public school systems at a minimal cost.

Probably the most well-known services are the virtual programs; programs that have allowed us to offer non-traditional subjects to our students, computer-assisted learning for traditional subjects, and a valuable aid in credit recovery for some of our high school students. To remove this kind of programming from our reach is to reduce our capability for service to all school-age children in both Gloucester and Mathews counties.

I urge you to contact your state representative to ask for restoration of funding for public broadcasting in the budget. You may go to the Virginia General Assembly website for contact information for your delegates and senators (http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform).

Ann Burruss

Hayes, Va.