In reference to the editorial, "Still out for summer" (July 28), I would like to let you and the writer of the article know that it was not just tourism that helped this to pass. I have nothing to do with tourism and neither do the more than 600 people who signed petitions in Rockingham and Caswell counties.

This was not just our counties. Parents and teachers from around North Carolina signed and helped this to pass. The tourism industry did try and failed a few years ago to get this passed. They were told that it was a tourism issue, and it was not passed until parents and teachers got involved.

I spent more than 50 hours looking up facts about other school systems in the country. The facts are that we had more teacher work days (21) than any other district that I could find in the United States. The U.S. average is eight.

We started back earlier than most. Florida also starts very early, but they get out in mid-May as we did when the early start date was implemented. There is so much more to say, like teachers' opinions.

Teresa Howell
Ruffin