Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the vote:
“Granite Staters care deeply about giving every student — in every community — access to a strong public education. New Hampshire voters already have the authority to place caps on local school budgets and taxes, and time and again they have chosen not to because they understand the real costs schools face, including rising expenses, health care costs, and student support services.
The Legislature’s vote to require every community to hold a mandatory tax cap vote in November’s General Election moves our state in the wrong direction and undermines New Hampshire’s long and proud tradition of local control and annual meetings.
Instead of supporting students and working to address New Hampshire’s broken and unequal school funding system, this legislation would further constrain local schools and make it harder for districts to meet the needs of their students. Every Granite State student deserves access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, regardless of their zip code. But HB 1300 could lock in existing funding disparities that will widen the gap between communities and undermine the quality of education for students across New Hampshire.
We implore Governor Ayotte to veto this harmful legislation and instead work with educators, families, and local communities on solutions that strengthen public education for all New Hampshire students.”
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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, the state’s largest educator union’s 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.
