For Immediate Release Contact: Deb Howes
June 1, 2023 president@aft-nh.org
CONCORD, N.H.— Today, the Senate Finance Committee voted, along party lines, to send the budget as amended for a full Senate vote next week. AFT-NH President Deb Howes released the following statement:
“Granite Staters want quality neighborhood public schools in every district across the state and taxes they can afford. This budget once again fails to adequately fund our public schools and the 185.00 students who rely on them for a robust education but instead prioritizes tax cuts for the rich and expanding a bloated voucher scheme that is already hugely over budget and lacks any accountability. The accelerated interest and dividends tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy ($116 Million) and the extreme voucher expansion ($48 Million) account for more money than the increase in state funding to our neighborhood public schools in this budget.
New Hampshire citizens and public school advocates have successfully sued the State of New Hampshire over the Legislature’s failure to meet their constitutional obligation to adequately fund public education several times in the past 30 years and won. Several districts are currently in court fighting another case right now. Instead of favoring the ultra-rich and expanding an unaccountable voucher program, the Senate should focus on the needs of all Granite Staters including better education funding. There are 165,000 public school students and their families who are waiting for a better answer than the education funding formula passed by Senate Finance.
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