Senator Murray Announces Funds to Assist Bourne with Educating Children of Military Families

BOSTON – The Town of Bourne will receive an additional education funding grant of $779,879 to aid the community in educating the children of military families, Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) announced today. This year’s funding amount is the largest Bourne will receive since Murray created a program to assist the Bourne school system in 2005, which marked the first time Bourne saw any type of additional funding assistance.

“The Town of Bourne has been providing high quality education to children from families stationed at the Massachusetts Military Reservation for decades and they continue to not be fully reimbursed by the federal government,” Murray said. “Since 2005, it was my priority to work with the Commonwealth to assist the town with this unfunded obligation and we secured $2.52 million in grant funding for Bourne Public Schools. I am proud that this additional funding is being directed at such a deserving community that works tirelessly to build a brighter future for our students.”

“Senate President Murray continues to provide tremendous leadership in ensuring that the Bourne Public Schools receive the financial resources necessary to provide a quality education to resident children of the men and women serving in our military,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester.

“On behalf of the members of the Massachusetts National Guard I want to thank Senate President Therese Murray for her leadership, advocacy and tireless support for the military families who live and work at the Massachusetts Military Reservation,” said Major General Joseph C. Carter. “This grant will ensure that the military families on Cape Cod who sacrifice so much on behalf of the Commonwealth and the Nation receive the resources necessary to ensure a full and robust education for their children.”      

"On behalf of the Bourne Public Schools I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Senate President Therese Murray for her ardent support of the Bourne community and the U.S. military families and dependents living herein,” said Bourne Public Schools Superintendent Steven Lamarche. “These funds ameliorate the substantial, annual shortfall in federal funding and positively impact the education of all of our students."

“Without this funding, the public school system in the Town of Bourne would be in serious financial straits as a result of the federal shortfall,” said Bourne Town Administrator Thomas Guerino. “The work that Senate President Murray has been able to do on our behalf to make sure that the children from the military base are well-educated and the town is compensated makes all the difference in the world for our budget and our community.”

“It is my distinct pleasure to thank Senate President Therese Murray for securing additional education funding for the Town of Bourne to assist in educating the children of military families stationed at the Massachusetts Military Reservation,” said Donald Pickard, Chairman of the Bourne Board of Selectmen. “Our neighbors at the military reservation play an important role here in Bourne and for that we as a community are grateful. We are also grateful to Senate President Murray for her tremendous commitment and support to the Town of Bourne.”

The final budget for the 2012 fiscal year included $1.3 million for a reserve to assist towns that provide education to children in families employed by the federal government on military reservations located within the town’s limits.