CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire House of Representatives cast a series of mixed votes on three bills that would expand education voucher eligibility in our state.
- HB 1561 would expand the definition of who can qualify for vouchers to such broad categories of students that it is also effectively a universal voucher program. The House voted “Inexpedient to Legislate” on HB 1561 on a voice vote, following a failed “Ought to Pass” vote (185 – 197).
- HB 1634 would establish a universal voucher program in New Hampshire. It removes any income qualification making vouchers available to any child who is eligible to go to public school, even if their parents are millionaires and the student already attends private school. The House voted “Inexpedient to Legislate” on HB 1634 on a voice vote, following a failed “Ought to Pass” vote (186-194).
- HB 1665 would raise the income eligibility from 350% of the federal poverty level to 500%, which for a family of four is $150,000 per year. This would also be a significant expansion of the program. The House voted “Ought to Pass” on HB 1665, 190-189. The FN (fiscal note) on HB 1665 was waived by the House Finance Committee Chair; the bill will next go to the state Senate for further consideration.
Two additional voucher expansion bills still await a full vote in the New Hampshire House after deadlocking in Committee, 10-10. HB 1652 would create the ability for a school district to adopt a local school district voucher program. HB 1677 extends eligibility for the voucher program to students who participated in the program in the preceding year, students whose enrollment transfer requests were denied, and to students in school districts which performed at 49 percent or below in statewide assessments, with no income limit.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the votes:
“NEA-New Hampshire is grateful bipartisan lawmakers rejected a bill to establish universal vouchers, however, we remain concerned that today’s vote to expand vouchers to higher income families brings us closer to that reality, which would blow a hole in New Hampshire’s state budget and jeopardize the future of state funding for public schools.
The data is clear: very few students are using vouchers to change schools. Instead, the majority of voucher recipients were already in private or homeschool, which has caused the program to run overbudget – a cost that will ultimately be borne by property taxpayers. It continues to be immensely disappointing that a majority of state lawmakers are hyper fixated on expanding this unsustainable program at all costs while ignoring the state’s chronic underfunding of our public schools, which the vast majority of Granite State students and families attend, trust, and rely on.”
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About NEA-New Hampshire
NEA-New Hampshire is the largest union of public employees in the state. Founded in 1854, the New Hampshire State Teachers Association became one of the “founding ten” state education associations that formed the National Education Association in 1857. Known today as NEA-NH, and comprised of more than 17,000 members, our mission to advocate for the children of New Hampshire and public-school employees, and to promote lifelong learning, remains true after more than 165 years. Our members are public school employees in all stages of their careers, including classroom teachers and other certified professionals, staff and instructors at public higher education institutions, students preparing for a teaching career, education support personnel and those retired from the profession.