Way back in the 1990s, the school districts of Allenstown, Claremont, Franklin, Lisbon Regional and Pittsfield sued the State of New Hampshire for better education funding. Seven years later, the ruling went in favor of the Plaintiffs; the State of NH has a duty to pay for the cost of a constitutionally adequate education for every K-12 student and the taxes that the State uses to pay for this education must have an equal rate throughout the state.
So, what’s an “adequate” education in a NH public school?
English/Language Arts & Reading
Mathematics
Science
Social studies
Arts education
World languages
Health and wellness education
Physical education
Engineering and Technologies
Personal Finance Literacy
Computer science
Let’s use the Allenstown public school as an example:
Allenstown has 511 students (per 2022-23 school year). According to the state, an adequate education for those students should cost $2,418,121 or $4,980 per student in 2022-23. The Allenstown School District budget for 2022-23 was $12,243,949 or $24,197 per student. Uh-oh, what needs to be cut?
All busing (including special education busing)
All supplies, copy machines, liability insurance, plumbing and heating repairs
All educational materials (including new textbooks)
All art, music, and PE equipment
All Chromebook technology and software contracts
All payments on the school building bond (resulting in default)
All food services
Maintaining the grounds (including plowing)
SAU 53 costs (including superintendent & staff), fees for audits and attorney
All English Language Learner support
All special education contracted services
All special education appraisal services
All special education out-of-district placements
All co-curricular clubs, sports, field trips, and student assemblies
All summer programs
Two secretaries and one of two nurses must go
Three of 4 custodians must go
All school board stipends and fees
Both guidance counselors and both street crossing guards must go
Technology support personnel must go
Assistant principal must go
Two of 17 special education paraprofessionals (and reduce special education coordinator to half-time) must go
No more special education speech/language pathologist
All substitute salaries must go
Reading specialist, special education secretary, library media specialist and speech language pathologist must go
Reduce library aid to half-time
Art, music, physical education, behavior and one of 7 special education teachers must go
There are 501 public schools in NH in 314 school districts. This is just one town in a four town school district.
Got children and grandchildren in public schools? Want them to receive a “constitutionally adequate” education? Vote accordingly.
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