Sen. Brewer provides leadership to help school districts

Sen. Brewer provides leadership to help school districts

Stephen Hemman
Executive Director, Mass Association of Regional Schools

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter as an individual wanting to thank Sen. Brewer for all he has done for education and especially regional school districts.

I am Stephen Hemman, a former school superintendent of schools in a regional school district and the current executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS).

When I first became a superintendent, the district was facing financial difficulties. Sen. Brewer arranged for meetings with the state officials. He provided guidance and assistance as we solved our budget issues. He was very concerned with the education of the students in our district. He is also very concerned with the education of all the children in the commonwealth.


Regional school districts rely on regional transportation reimbursement as a source of income in order to operate the district. When the down turn in the economy happened beginning in 2009, regional transportation funding was reduced to around 50 percent.  However, with the assistance of Sen. Brewer as the chair of Senate Ways and Means, the rate of reimbursement has been increased and we expect to see the rate near 65 percent this fiscal year.

For this fiscal year, circuit breaker (special education funding) is expected to be fully funded by the  commonwealth. We can thank Sen. Brewer for providing the leadership in making sure that districts receive the amount that they are eligible to receive and not a reduced percentage.

Sen. Brewer knows what is happening in his district. When he attends local events, he comes into contact with the people and learns what is going well and want are their concerns. I know that people in his district appreciate him taking the time to talk with them.

Sen. Brewer is very honest with the people. He explains the many responsibilities of government and that there is only so much money to go around. He listens carefully but will tell you what can happen and what cannot. His many years of experience in government is a valuable asset to the communities in his district.

Thank you senator for all you have done and will do for the education of the children in the commonwealth.

Stephen Hemman 
Executive Director, Mass Association of Regional Schools