Governor Patrick Nixes Long-term Funding to Support Hanscom Students – Gordon & Barrett Push Back

Submitted by State Senator Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) and State Representative Ken Gordon (D-Bedford)

In place of an outright veto, Gov. Deval Patrick has sent back to the Legislature a section of the state budget that would have ensured permanent reimbursement to Bedford of the state’s share of costs to educate children of military families living at Hanscom Air Force Base.

The message accompanying the Governor’s action “recommends” that the Legislature drop the effort to write long-term funding into law. But the practical effect of the mild-sounding recommendation is to set up a threat of an outright veto in the future, should the Legislature disagree with the Governor and return the long-term language to him.

Patrick’s parliamentary maneuver leaves Bedford’s long-sought goal of permanent funding up in the air. Rep. Ken Gordon and Sen. Mike Barrett, the town’s legislative delegation, termed his action “deeply disappointing.” The pair must now consider what options are open to them this late in the legislative session, which ends July 31st.

“The battle isn’t over,” said Barrett, “but the outcome is very uncertain.” Barrett, along with Gordon, had succeeded in getting the permanent funding language into the budget submitted to the Governor.

Thanks to Barrett and Gordon’s work, the budget Patrick signed does provide $1.3 million to compensate towns for the upcoming year to educate children of military families residing on bases. This is the second straight budget in which the duo has managed to include nonpermanent, one-year-at-a-time aid.

The Governor’s message back to the Legislature states, “[The permanent provision] promises to reimburse municipalities every year for the additional costs of students of military families, at the fiscal year level of $1.3 million. I do not object to funding this program in the fiscal year 2015 budget, but I believe it is bad policy to codify this promise indefinitely, and I therefore recommend amending the section to remove this provision.”

“What the Governor has failed to recognize is the value that a predictable reimbursement plan will not only help the towns such as Bedford that educate the children of military families, but it will also assure the military that their children will be educated at their schools for years to come,” said Rep. Gordon. “This not only protects the towns and their tax-paying residents, but it also protects the bases if downsizing is considered in the future.”

“For years Bedford has been pleased to open its doors to kids of military families living on Hanscom,” Barrett said. “The town deserves the certainty of knowing that it’ll be reimbursed going forward.”

Presently, more than 100 Hanscom students attend high school at local expense. The town has accepted Hanscom students at Bedford High School for more than 50 years through an agreement with the Department of Defense, but the federal government reimburses for only a small portion of the educational costs involved.