“There are 165,000 students and their families who trust and rely on our local neighborhood public schools for their education, and today the NH House let them down. Rather than focus on improving education funding so public educational opportunities are just as robust in Berlin and Claremont as they are in Bedford and Windham, today the NH House voted to expand school vouchers. While we are thankful the House exercised appropriate caution and fiscal restraint in defeating two unlimited school voucher bills, it did increase the income eligibility for the school voucher program to 500% of the federal poverty level. Our public-school students, our local neighborhood public schools, and our local property taxpayers deserve better than pouring more tax money into a program that has been over budget and has not shown evidence of improved academic outcomes, all while the State of NH is still failing to meet its constitutional duty to fully fund its public schools.”
