CONCORD – Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 367 Tuesday expanding the eligibility of students in the Education Freedom Account program surrounded by children and advocates.
Democrats have been opposed to the EFA program since it started.
State Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, called it a “complete disregard for educational accountability.”
Sununu’s news release said: “New Hampshire funds students — not systems.”
“Our Education Freedom Accounts legislation has been a tremendous success, and we are committed to further expanding eligibility for students who need it most. New Hampshire will always prioritize the success of our kids, especially those without the financial resources necessary to attend a school that fits their path,” Sununu said.
Soucy said: “Today, Governor Sununu showed a complete disregard for educational accountability and fiscal responsibility in our state. By signing HB 367 into law, the Governor expanded the income threshold of a shadowy program that is already more than $23 million over budget. The reality is that the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program completely lacks any meaningful level of accountability, both financially and educationally.
“Throughout this legislative session, Senate Democrats have worked to put appropriate guardrails in place around the EFA program – calling for educational reporting and financial guardrails, but our calls for accountability were rejected by the Republican majority,” Soucy said. “By supporting the expansion of EFAs, the Governor showed that he cannot be trusted to be responsible with taxpayer dollars, and that he is uninterested in ensuring that these educational facilities are really doing the work to set our youngest citizens up for success.”
The NH House Democrats tweeted: “The vast majority of EFA participants were already attending private school *without taxpayer-funded subsidy* Expanding EFA eligibility to >$100k/yr will exacerbate tax hikes on Granite Staters to subsidize private schools and their existing students.”