Editor’s Note: Here are links to two more stories by GARRY RAYNO about Wednesday’s House session.

Public Education Takes A Beating in the NH House

NH House Passes Hard Labor Sentence for Capital Murder or Child Rape

By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD — Troubled school districts could be taken over by the state Department of Education under a bill approved by the House Wednesday.

House Bill 121 would allow the department to hire an administrator to oversee the district with sweeping authority to override school board decisions, make changes to day-to-day operations, cancel or renegotiate contracts and lay off or fire personnel.

The proposal would increase state oversight of financially troubled schools like the Claremont School District which faces a $5 million deficit built over the past three years, and would allow the department to put school districts on a six-month probation for other reasons as well.

Opponents decried the bill’s assault on local control, and said it would subject school districts to punitive actions without due process or any avenue for appeal.

The bill would allow the state to withhold state funds if they do not do timely audits or other financial reports and share information with district voters.

At a public hearing in November critics of the plan devised by former Rep. Glenn Cordelli, a Republican who used to live in Tuftonboro, called it incredible overreach by the state in unproductive and undemocratic ways and would punish school districts for the state’s failure to adequately fund public education.

At Wednesday’s House Session, Rep. Megan Murray, D-Amherst, was concerned the measure reached much further than financial issues, noting it could also include violating any conditions, standards, or administrative rules.

The bill lists a number of provisions that could result in a probation if the school districts fails to meet generally accepted standards for fiscal management; significantly violates state or federal law; becomes insolvent or financially unstable; fails to comply with the reporting requirements; fails to comply with state or federal reporting requirements; and fails to remedy the causes of its probation.

Late filing of audits and financial reports could result in a fine of $500 a day.

Cordelli said at the public hearing it is based on House Bill 752, which passed last session to address financially at-risk Charter Schools after several closed in the last year due to financial failure.

The bill would also allow the Department of Education to require both a financial and a forensic audit of a school district’s finances at the district’s expense.

Rep. Kristin Noble, R-Bedford, said the bill is intended to require communication, accountability, transparency and leadership, all the things that failed in Claremont resulting in the deficit.

HB 121 passed on a 187-154 vote and will now go to the Senate.

Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.