By ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD, NH — The House Education Committee continued its public hearing Tuesday on House Bill 1121, which seeks to define the cost of an adequate education for students attending schools throughout the state.

Chairman state Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, who sponsored the bill, spoke to the committee on updating the legal language of the bill to reflect certain changes that occurred over time.

“Within statute right now, under 192-E:2-B1, a requirement that we have to determine the resources necessary to provide essential programs and consider the educational needs of those we serve. The specific resource elements to be included in the opportunity for an adequate education have not been placed into statute in the past. However, the specific elements have been noted and were drawn up back in 2008 when we adopted the present formula for funding an adequate education,” Ladd said.

Ladd then cited RSA 198:49, stating that school districts may provide the following benefit services for pupils in each public and non-public schools. These include: school nurse and health services, guidance and psychological services, educational testing services, transportation, textbooks and instructional materials, health and welfare services, driver education services, physical education, and hot lunch programs.

Ladd continued that when looking at the requirements that legislators need to account for change that occurs in society, noting that needs and services can change over time. He elaborated, saying computers didn’t exist when he first started working as an elementary teacher.

He also referenced a 2008 report from the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Costing and Adequate Education. He said the report recognized that the cost of elementary school education and high school education are a little different, due to the ways those schools are staffed with personnel.

Ladd added that legislators have assigned the responsibility of developing a curriculum “totally, 100% to the local school district.” If they decide, “we’re not going to use textbooks, that’s on them… The academic standards taught were basically those that were established by those by that particular textbook company, and then you looked for an achievement test that aligned with your program.”

Ladd said that’s why many different school districts had different types of assessment instruments for students.

“If we don’t do anything about establishing what these basic elements are, then how will we ever identify that that expense is relative to the cost for an opportunity for an adequate education? Because the districts are throwing in the cost of athletics, they’re throwing in the cost of the marching band,” Ladd said. “Is that related to what we have as the basic elements that are related directly to an adequate education? The committee back then said, ‘No, they are not.’”

Referencing the 2008 report once more, he said it determined that no other personnel positions need to be included in the calculation of universal costs. It still considered whether other positions should be included, and among them were: central office and administrative staff, school nurses, teacher aids (paraprofessionals) , and food service personnel.

He continued that central office and administrative costs did not fit within the report’s definition of an adequate education.

“Similarly, since the definition is based on substantive curriculum areas and associated skills, a school nurse — who provides healthcare services, rather than educational services — is beyond the scope of the universal cost… The committee determined that on statutory definition of adequacy in the New Hampshire school approval standards which are incorporated therein, teacher aids do not constitute part of the universal cost.”

Ladd said the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Costing and Adequate Education also concluded that since food service programs are self-supporting and outside the educational components of the school, that they too would not be included in the universal cost.

“Things have changed. We need to look as legislators and say, ‘Is this still reflective of the way things are done right now?’ I believe we need a lot of work on that. However, we’re at the point that if we’re going to try to get some good data from the Department of Education that reflects the actual cost, we need to get moving forward with what those elements are, and establish them,” he said.

State Rep. Hope Damon, D-Croydon, asked if Ladd’s intent with the bill is to be more specific about what elements make an adequate education. Ladd said yes.

Damon said she was puzzled as to why paraprofessionals weren’t included in one of Ladd’s essential elements.

Ladd responded that the 2008 report indicated paraprofessionals are taking on tasks as directed by a certified classroom teacher, and that “a certified teacher is the one that’s providing the opportunity for an adequate education.”

Damon recognized the difference in expertise and education between teachers and paraprofessionals.

“It seems to me, in the districts I represent, that paraprofessionals are a very important, cost-effective part of the team, and if we don’t include them as necessary elements, we are essentially saying that we need more teachers at a greater cost,” Damon said.

The bill was not voted on during Tuesday’s meeting, and the discussion will continue in future meetings.