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 meetings to limit open enrollment, and it affirmed support for public schools and for the educators and paraeducators who work every day to help all students learn and thrive.
A separate Open Enrollment proposal, HB751, which is awaiting a committee of conference, should meet the same outcome when it comes up for a vote.