Carolyn Dykema - Precinct 2

REP. DYKEMA’S SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION BILL RECEIVES FAVORABLE REPORT 

Boston— Representative Carolyn Dykema is pleased to announce that a bill she filed last January, H.3658, An Act Relative to School Transportation, has been reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Education as part of a consolidated bill that establishes a commission on school transportation concerns.

The assessment of bus fees, which was the subject of Representative Dykema’s bill, is among the issues that will be scrutinized by the new commission.  In addition to addressing the question of fees, the commission will investigate regional school and special education transportation and propose ways to manage school transportation more cost-effectively. Specific cost saving measures to be looked at include optimization of bus routing through the use of shared software, collaboration among school districts, and outsourcing transportation administration to a third party.

“As towns struggle to balance their school budgets, the state needs to play an active role in proposing strategies for controlling the high cost of school transportation,” saidDykema. “This commission will be charged with providing actionable solutions and I hope the bill will come up for a vote soon so the commission can start its work. It’s especially good news that the commission will also look into concerns raised by my constituents related to the assessment of fees.”

A report of the Commission’s findings and recommendations would be due by the end of 2010. The bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate before the Commission can be established.

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State Representative Carolyn represents the towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pct. 2 & 3) and Westborough (pct. 2).

Boston— Representative Carolyn C. Dykema will hold office hours in all towns of the 8th Middlesex District in March.  Any resident who would like to speak with Representative Dykema and is unable to attend office hours should contact her office at (617) 722-2210 or email her aide at leah.robins@state.ma.us to set up a personal appointment.  

Holliston: Friday, March 26th, 10:30-11:30 amCoffee Haven76 Railroad StreetHolliston, MA 01746

Hopkinton: Friday, March 26th, 9:00-10:00 amHopkinton Gourmet 43 Main StreetHopkinton, MA 01748

Medway: Friday, March 19h, 8:00-9:00 amCoffee Sensations 116 Main StreetMedway, MA 02053

Southborough: Friday, March 5th, 11:30-12:30 amMauro’s Village Cafe2 Main StreetSouthborough, MA 01772

Westborough: Friday, March 5th, 10:00-11:00 amHarry’s Restaurant149 Turnpike RoadWestborough, MA 01581

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State Representative Carolyn Dykema represents the towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pct. 2 & 3) and Westborough (pct. 2).

REP. DYKEMA ANNOUNCES NEW HEALTH PLAN OPTION FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Boston – Rep. Carolyn Dykema (D – Holliston) today announced a new plan launched by the Massachusetts Health Connector to help small business owners control the dramatically rising costs of employee health insurance.

“The crushing cost of health insurance has been is a recurring theme in my conversations with small businesses,” said Rep. Dykema. “Health insurance costs are unquestionably one of the major hurdles to economic expansion and job creation, and our small businesses have been particularly hard hit. While I continue to advocate for broad reform, I am pleased that the new Business Express plan will offer our small businesses some needed relief.”

The new Business Express program is for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees. For some businesses with five or fewer employees, the savings may be more than $300 per employee per year. Select network plans may offer savings that range from 10 to 15 percent.

Employers will be able to select from an array of options offered by major carriers including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, CeltiCare, Fallon Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health New England, Neighborhood Health Plan and Tufts Health Plan.

Small business owners can find out more about the plan by calling a broker or going to the Health Connector’s website, www.mahealthconnector.org or call Health Connector’s customer service line at 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765).

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State Representative Carolyn is a member of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business and represents the towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pct. 2 & 3) and Westborough (pct. 2).

Representative Dykema Comments on Recently Passed Education Reform Bill

Boston, MA - On Thursday evening I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate in supporting passage of an education reform bill, an Act Relative to the Achievement Gap. This new law provides tools to improve struggling schools and creates a limited number of new charter schools in underperforming districts. Notably, the law will also put Massachusetts in a strong position to access up to $250 million in federal education funds. During debate, I co-sponsored a number of amendments to address concerns I have heard from our schools, and I am pleased that the final bill included a number of provisions that will help the schools in my district.

First, it requires the state to make an assessment of the true cost of a high quality education. Educators have contended for many years that there is a mismatch been our expectations for our students and the funding provided to meet them. This evaluation will assess resources available to schools, seek to understand how they’re spent, identify cost effective best practices, and provide the data needed to maximize the value of every education dollar.

Second, the law begins to address charter school funding concerns. The current method of funding charter schools drains needed dollars from public schools which are already facing tight budgets. Although only a first step, the new law provides some additional funding to public schools to offset the fiscal impact of charter school transfers.

Third, the bill protects regional school transportation funding. This year, I and other legislators who represent regional schools helped prevent transportation funding cuts that would have disproportionately affected regional schools. The new law will ensure these funds are protected in the future.

We can never be complacent when it comes to education, and we need to continually challenge ourselves to be better, even in the face of financial constraints. With this new law, the Commonwealth has taken an important step forward in providing for the education of our children and our future.

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Rep. Carolyn Dykema represents the 8^th Middlesex district which includes Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pcts. 2,3) and Westborough (pct. 2)