New Hampshire voters have spoken in recent local school district meetings: by and large they resoundingly support their public schools and students and believe the State should be contributing their fair share. Some will point to communities like Jaffrey-Rindge and Fall Mountain as evidence that school spending is too high or that districts need to “tighten their belts.” But that interpretation misses the real story.
These failed budget votes are not a rejection of public education—they are a symptom of a much deeper problem: the State of New Hampshire’s ongoing failure to meet its constitutional obligation to adequately fund our public schools.
Every student in New Hampshire deserves a high-quality education, a safe and welcoming school, and the support they need to thrive. Our educators are working every day to meet today’s challenges for tomorrow’s generation. And while it’s true that many districts are serving fewer students than in decades past, it is also true that those students have greater and more complex needs than ever before.
Today’s schools are not the schools many of us remember. Students now require supports that were once ignored or unavailable—mental health services, special education, English language learning, and social-emotional development. Schools have evolved to meet these needs by bringing in specialized professionals like behavior specialists, paraprofessionals, and student support teams. These are not luxuries; they are essential to ensuring every child has a real opportunity to succeed.
Let’s be clear: our schools are spending more because our communities need and expect more from them due to the challenges our students face today. Public schools don’t get to pick and choose who they serve—they educate every child who comes through their doors, regardless of need, background, or circumstance. Every one of those students has a right to a robust education.
Despite increased needs, New Hampshire continues to rank last in the nation in terms of state funding for public education, leaving local property taxpayers to make up the difference. That means when school budgets come up for a vote, communities are being asked to shoulder a burden that should be shared more fairly at the state level.
As educators and taxpayers, we understand the frustration. We feel it too. Rising property taxes are real, and they are difficult for many families—educators included. But rejecting local school budgets does not solve the problem; it exacerbates it. It forces cuts to programs, increases class sizes, and reduces the very supports students need most, thereby jeopardizing their ability to build bright futures.
The reality is simple: you cannot underfund public education at the state level and expect local communities to sustainably and equitably fill the gap.
And yet, instead of working across party lines to finally fix this decades-old problem—despite repeated New Hampshire Supreme Court rulings affirming the State’s responsibility—we continue to see legislative energy diverted not toward bipartisan solutions but instead to efforts to further downshift costs and enact culture war proposals like classroom censorship bills and book bans. These efforts do nothing to lower property taxes, improve student outcomes, or address inequities between communities. They are distractions from the real work that needs to be done.
Granite Staters deserve better than political theater while their local public schools struggle to secure basic funding.
Adding to the strain, New Hampshire is now effectively funding two education systems—an expanding private voucher program and its public schools, which are attended by nearly 90% of all students and 95% of students with a disability. Public schools continue to serve the highest-need students while fixed costs remain, and public dollars are stretched thinner. This isn’t a mystery. It’s math.
Families want to know that their children are prepared for life—that they can think critically, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Educators share that goal. We are not defending the status quo—we are fighting for improvement: smaller class sizes, more individualized attention, and better outcomes for every student.
But we cannot achieve those goals without adequate and equitable funding.
For decades, court rulings have affirmed the State’s responsibility to fund an adequate education. Yet the burden continues to fall disproportionately on local communities, creating deep inequities between districts based on property wealth. We should all agree that students’ opportunities should not depend on their ZIP code.
This year’s annual school district meeting votes on budgets, open enrollment, and petition warrant articles urging accountability for the state’s downshifting of costs and runaway voucher scheme should be a wake-up call—not to cut more, but to fix the system.
Our students are not a line item to be minimized—they are our future.
If we truly believe that every child deserves a chance to succeed, then we must be willing to invest in that belief. That means the State of New Hampshire must step up and do its part.
