By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — School nurses and superintendent services would not be components of an adequate education under a bill the House Education Funding Committee approved down party lines Tuesday.
House Bill 1121 lists elements that are to be included in determining the cost of an adequate education, but leaves out several areas included in Superior Court Judge David Ruoff’s ConVal lawsuit ruling he used to determine the cost of an adequate education which is nearly double what the state pays per pupil which is about $4,200.
The amended bill approved on a 10-8 vote, removes nurses from the list as well as superintendent services.
The amended version would also remove a current requirement in statute that the legislature review the elements and the costs of an adequate education at least every 10 years.
Rep. Dan McGuire, R-Epsom, said the review requirement has no teeth and one legislature cannot obligate a future legislature, which can change whatever it wishes.
“I don’t believe in putting things into law that can’t be enforced,” McGuire said.
Rep. Dick Ames, D-Jaffrey, noted if an item is not on the list, it could not be added unless the statute was changed in the future, and McGuire said that is correct.
Ames said that would mean there is no money in state education aid for school nurses going forward.
Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, objected to removing the section requiring the legislature to review the list.
“I would caution that from time to time this list does get amended as recently as two years ago, to add personal finance and computer science,” he said, but “the change does not allow for any wiggle room.”
Rep. Tracy Bricchi, D-Concord, also objected to the proposal saying her constituents are at the breaking point over property taxes and tell her the state needs to alleviate the burden.
“That is what we need to think about,” she said, “and this is not going to alleviate the burden.”
The committee chair, Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, noted the state recommended students to teacher ratio for Kindergarten to grade 12 is 30-1, but many school districts have ratios of 12 or 13 to 1. They are making a local decision to fund schools at that level, he said.
“I keep hearing it’s the state’s responsibility to pony up,” Ladd said, but “there are cost factors that are not in the control of the state that take place at the local level.”
People across the state soundly support public schools that are in place today, Luneau said, with student teacher ratios that are in place today and with outcomes that are in place today.
“If we double the state’s share of funding public schools,” he said, “we would still be last in the nation for funding public schools.”
Luneau said it is extraordinary that voters place such a high priority on strong public schools across New Hampshire and are willing to open up their wallets and support them despite the lack of state support.
Some districts work extra hard to support public schools, with property tax rates of $50 per $1,000 of valuation in property poor communities.
“It is disappointing the state does not recognize the public’s interest in schools,” Luneau said, “but would rather back away from its obligation and exclude nursing services and superintendent services on this list.”
Ladd said the state recognizes there are schools with greater challenges and has committed to providing greater aid to address the disparities among schools.
The court did not look at that side of the ledger, he said.
Luneau also tried to amend the bill to include the lists of elements included in Ruoff’s ConVal ruling that found the state has failed to pay for an adequate education and has offloaded the costs of local property taxpayers.
Luneau’s amendment also would require an update by the legislature every two years on what constitutes an adequate education and its costs.
Luneau’s amendment was voted down on a 10-8 party line vote.
The committee unanimously approved House Bill 1816 which allows the Department of Education to intervene in a school or school district in a financial emergency.
The proposal was originally intended to help Claremont which faced a $5 million deficit when the school year began last fall, and included a provision to allow the district to borrow against its future adequacy aid from the state.
Since that time Claremont has said it could borrow the money it needs from a local bank which is cheaper and has fewer strings attached. The original plan would have required the city to vote on a budget cap at its next school meeting and to allow students to participate in the Education Freedom Account program in the middle of the school year.
The bill allows the department to initiate and implement a district recovery plan if a school district’s financial and operational condition is deemed a financial emergency by the State Board of Education.
The department would be able to alter administrative practices and operating conditions, relocate school districts or school resources, and renegotiate contracts and agreements.
The intervention could last up to a year.
Ladd said there is no intent at all that the department would take over local control.
The committee voted down party lines to send House Bill 1824 to interim study on a 10-8 vote.
Sponsored by Democrats, the bill would have created a revolving loan fund that would allow school districts to borrow against their future state adequacy aid payments to address financial emergencies.
The committee also voted to send House Bill 1288 to interim study which would have allowed the voters in School Administrative Units to cap their SAU’s budget.
The committee also unanimously approved House Bill 1807 which concerns information school boards must place on warrant articles and ballots for district meetings. The information is the district’s per pupil cost and the students’ proficiency rates on statewide assessment testing.
The bills will likely be voted on next week.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.