Press

AFT-NH President Deb Howes released the following statement on Governor Ayotte's Signing of HB 1817:

"Public school students will have fewer opportunities in their local neighborhood schools, while voucher students will have more access, and local school districts will be forced to absorb the cost because of Gov. Ayotte’s decision today. By signing HB 1817, which requires school districts to allow resident voucher students to join any class, program, or extracurricular activity, Ayotte created an unfunded mandate that forces public schools to do more with less. The result for students is clear

HB 1300 has passed the House and Senate. Students will pay the price with fewer resources, fewer staff, and fewer supports in our public schools. 

This bill ignores local voters and undermines town meetings, taking decisions away from communities that know their schools and their students best.

 Stand up for public education. 

Tell the Governor to reject HB 1300 and protect our students.

Today is a huge victory for Granite State public school students. 

NH lawmakers listened to voters, put students first, and did the right thing by rejecting HB 751. By protecting local school funding, they upheld strong neighborhood public schools, respected local control, and protected taxpayers from added burden. 

This decision keeps the focus where it belongs, on giving every Granite State student the support, stability, and opportunities they need to succeed.

AFT-NH President Deb Howes Statement on Defeat of SB 101 (Open Enrollment)

Granite State public school students won today when the New Hampshire House put the needs of all public-school students first and defeated SB101, an Open Enrollment proposal that was far from ready to become law. All students deserve robust, well-funded public schools in their home districts, and this proposal lacked the safeguards, stable funding, and predictability needed to protect students, classrooms and communities. This bipartisan vote showed respect for local voters and property taxpayers, who voted at annual

Governor Kelly Ayotte’s signing of HB 1815 is a direct blow to New Hampshire’s public-school students. The bill tries to rewrite the state’s constitutional duty to fund public education without fixing the broken system that already leaves New Hampshire last in the nation for its share of school funding.

Instead of delivering real support to students in property-poor districts, HB 1815 lets the state walk away from decades of court rulings and deepens inequities for students and taxpayers alike. Every single Granite State child deserves a fair, fully funded public education in their local