AFT-NH Testimony on HB 1583, HB 1656, HB 1686, and HB 1586 (From Debrah Howes, President AFT-NH)
Thank you, Chair Ladd and Members of the House Education Committee,
My name is Debrah Howes. I am president of the American Federation of Teachers – New Hampshire. I am here to speak on behalf of our 3700 members across the state. Our members include PreK through 12 public school educators and support staff, university faculty as well as town employees. I am here today to testify in favor of the State of New Hampshire working, even in this non-budget year, to come closer to meeting its constitutional obligation to provide an opportunity for a robust public education to every student in the Granite State.
The Education Committee has four separate bills it will consider today, and they each seek to improve the way we fund the opportunity for an adequate public education in New Hampshire. This is incredibly important since it is each Granite State student’s right, guaranteed by the state constitution, to have the opportunity to get a robust public education. This is not just my opinion; it has been determined through numerous court decisions starting with Claremont I in the 1990s. Furthermore, what is offered in that public education must be just as robust for students in Claremont, Franklin and Berlin as it is in Winham, Bedford and Hanover.
Up until now the State of New Hampshire has been relying on formulas that left too much of the burden for this state responsibility of providing students the opportunity of a public education on the local property taxpayers. This has resulted in inequities in what students can access in their public schools, as some districts and towns offer much more, and others are struggling to even provide the basics: yet they are all Granite State students and have the same constitutional right to a robust public education! It has also resulted in inequitable burdens on local property taxpayers, as taxpayers in low property tax base towns pay a higher percentage of the value of their property for something that is really the state’s responsibility to provide.
Below we will share our thoughts on the relevant bills from today.
HB 1583 would increase the state per pupil base adequacy grant to $10,000, from the current $4,100. While it seems like a huge increase, this amount was independently calculated as the state’s share of an adequate education in the recent ConVal case. We support this legislation to give Granite State students the kind of public education they deserve and relieve local property taxpayers of disproportionate burden.
HB 1656 would increase adequacy grants for students receiving special education services from the current $2,100 to $27,000. Considering the average cost per pupil in the Granite State of providing all the needed services to special education students is over $28,000, this is a reasonable figure to make sure students get what they need. It would also shift the burden from local property taxpayers onto the state, who has the obligation to provide the opportunity for public education. We support this bill.
HB 1686 deals with the Statewide Education Property Tax. This would require that excess SWEPT collected by municipalities be remitted to the state and that the state cannot set negative local tax rates. This mirrors the findings of the Rand case and would address some of the disproportionality of the local property taxes currently used to fund education in New Hampshire. We support this bill.
HB 1586 deals with establishing a foundation opportunity budget program for funding education. We need more information on how this would address the twin concerns of making sure every Granite State student has equitable access to a robust opportunity for a public education and that local property taxpayers are not disproportionately burdened in one district over another. We are not expressing an opinion at this time.
Now is the time for the NH House to meet its constitutional duty of fully funding the opportunity for a robust public education for all Granite State Students. Every student in the Granite State deserves a welcoming, inclusive classroom where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Every Granite State student deserves small class sizes, individual attention from the teacher and learning support from paraeducators. Every Granite State student deserves student centered, hands on and experiential learning to spark that joy of lifelong learning. This can’t happen until the NH Legislature meeting its constitutional duty to all its students.
We urge you to honor the constitution, your duty to the rights of all Granite State students and local property taxpayers by fixing New Hampshire’s public education funding system now.
Sincerely,
Debrah Howes
President, AFT-New Hampshire