Dear Editor,
I am writing to ask your readers in Groton and Dunstable to take action this weekend on a matter involving fiscal year 2014 state funding for the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District. At the present time in the Massachusetts Legislature the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is negotiating the 2014 budget for the Commonwealth. Members of this joint committee, along with their e-mail address, are listed here:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Please take a moment to send an e-mail to each of these individuals asking that they do the following:
- Adopt Senate proposed funding for Chapter 70 (General K-12 Education Funding), budget line item 7061-0008, in the amount of $4,301,214,591; and
- Adopt Senate proposed funding for Regional School Transportation, budget line item 7035-0006, in the amount of $51,521,000.
Income (revenue) from Groton and Dunstable’s taxpayers along with that received from these two line items in the state budget make up most of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District’s annual funding. As many of you are aware, the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District can make very good use of all the financial assistance we can obtain from the state.
Taking a few minutes now to send an e-mail message to these state legislators can make a meaningful difference. Please don’t delay; send your message now. In case it makes communicating with these legislators easier for you, I have attached a copy of the e-mail message I sent here:
Representative E-mail Message to Legislators
Click this link and then copy and paste in the paragraphs below. Feel free to add your own thoughts.
As you negotiate the differences between the House and Senate version of Massachusetts’ fiscal year 2014 budget, I ask that you keep support for public K-12 education a very high priority. Specifically, I would like you to:
1. Adopt Senate proposed funding for Chapter 70 (General K-12 Education Funding), budget line item 7061-0008; and
2. Adopt Senate proposed funding for Regional School Transportation, budget line item 7035-0006.
Of necessity, all public K-12 school districts depend heavily on Chapter 70 funding. Regional school districts, such as mine, also depend heavily on regional school transportation funding to make ends meet. Excellent public education is a corner stone of our democracy. While money alone does not produce education excellence, it is a very significant ingredient in the process that does lead to excellent schools and high student achievement. Your support for these two budget line items will help insure that Massachusetts continues to produce a very high percentage of the best educated K-12 graduates in the country.
Thanks for your support and the hard work you do for the Commonwealth.
Best regards, [add your name, address and phone number]
If you would like more information on what is going on with the State’s FY14 budget, you may find the following Internet references helpful:
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_23410006/negotiators-begin-talks-34b-state-budget
If you prefer to contact these legislators by phone or postal service mail, you will find all their contact information here : https://malegislature.gov/people/findmylegislator .
Thanks and regards.
John
John R. Giger, Member
Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee
152 Whiley Road
Groton, MA 0145 USA
Phone: +1 978-448-9628
Mobile: +1 508-320-7330
Fax: +1 978-448-9629
E-mail – [email protected]
