InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/category/education/page/23/)
Coverage involving education and schools.
A bill that would, once again, create “donor towns” under the Statewide Education Property Tax had a public hearing Tuesday before the House Ways and Means Committee.
Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, speaks to the House Education Committee Wednesday about his bill to have the Department of Education take over administration of the Education Freedom Account program.
The controversial program, which is one of the most expansive voucher programs in the country, has served about 3,000 students in its first two years, and has cost the state $24 million — well over budget — with a projected cost of $30 million a year for the next biennial budget.
A 15-year-old Gilford girl suffered a head injury and died while skiing at the Gunstock recreation area.
To date about 75 percent of the state funds spent for the freedom account program has subsidized tuition for students who attended private and religious schools before the program was launched in 2021 and not students leaving public schools for private or religious schools as advocates had predicted.
A federal judge allowed a lawsuit challenging the state’s divisive concepts law to go forward on the same day a public hearing was held on a bill to repeal the new statute.
A bill to repeal the 2021 state law relative to teaching discrimination in public schools and discrimination in public workplaces that has come to be known as the “banned concepts law,” had a public hearing on Thursday with the majority testifying in favor of repeal.
House and Senate Ways and Means committee members were warned Wednesday not to expect the state to experience the same economic growth it has since recovering from the pandemic.
“The Senate Democratic Caucus will work with Governor Sununu and our colleagues in the House and Senate throughout this legislative term to protect the freedoms of all New Hampshire citizens.