AFT-NH on Legislative Votes for Universal Vouchers
“This is a gift to the wealthy and puts public education on a death watch.”
CONCORD, NH—The following is a statement by AFT-New Hampshire President Deb Howes on two universal voucher bills that passed today in the House and Senate and a House bill that imposes a cap on local budgets for school districts:
“In their twisted priorities, an out-of-touch majority of anti-public education extremists in New Hampshire have decided that the rich need help to send their kids to private school and once again showed their utter contempt for adequate funding for public schools, the support our students need or the burden this places on local property taxpayers. The universal voucher bills are ludicrous because they allow the well-to-do—even if they already send their kids to private school—to use a state-funded voucher to pay for private education. This is a gift to the wealthy and puts public education on a death watch.
“There isn’t even enough money to afford the millions of dollars it would cost each year for universal vouchers. In the budget phase of this disaster, lawmakers should wake up, be more fiscally aware of the situation and think carefully about adequately funding public schools, where the vast majority of our students attend.
“In a blow to communities lacking property wealth, the House passed a measure to impose caps on local school budgets, which will cause irreparable harm to school districts’ ability to afford required costs, such as special education, transportation and utilities. If these costs rise, cuts will need to be made, such as to teachers, paraeducators, music, art and educational programs, negatively impacting students’ public education. This is not what communities want; this week, not a single local budget cap passed in any school district where it was on the ballot.”
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