School restarts next week. We have strong schools in St. Mary’s County dependent on federal commitments to strong curricula, well-trained teachers and effective programs for our community.

The federal dimension is enhanced here by the effective work of Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th), who uses his experience and high regard in the Congress to ensure targeted funding for our local schools and community college.

As in so many other ways, on education Steny Hoyer delivers more than just lip service and words of encouragement.

In response to local business and defense leaders, for example, Rep. Hoyer has secured $487,000 in federal money for math, science, and technology academies in St. Mary’s County high schools.

He has obtained $486,000 for a College of Southern Maryland Workforce Initiative, connecting schooling with jobs.

This Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math also positions us for the next BRAC round determining the future of our local defense industry.

That’s not just talk — that’s real.

Furthermore, to prepare our high school graduates for good local jobs, Rep. Hoyer has secured another $497,000 for nursing and allied health and $292,000 for construction and transportation training through CSM.

Hoyer secures impact aid, early childhood and prekindergarten funds, and special and regular education appropriations, bringing our federal tax dollars right back to the heart of our community — our educational system.

That helps us all. It’s worth thinking about as we send our children and youngsters back to school next week and our graduates to professional training or college, to be prepared and able to work, raise their own families and thus enrich the St. Mary’s community for decades to come.

After nearly 40 years teaching here, I don’t know whether it takes a village, but it certainly does take committed parents, educators, students, supportive taxpayers and political leaders, like Steny Hoyer, to make good schools work for our community.

Karl Pence, Hollywood