Please vote No on the school tax ballot measure
I found it jarring to see Jonathon Mack’s My Turn essay in support of the ballot measure to cap the increase in school-based property taxes printed alongside the lead story in Friday’s paper, Student Special Needs Requests Growing. Mack argues that it is the teachers’ unions who want far too much money in school budgets. Yet, the special ed story described parents and teachers working together to get the resources required to meet the needs of students requiring significant support. These students have traditionally been provided the education to which they are legally entitled via programs funded at the state and federal level. This presents a challenge to the students of New Hampshire as over the past decade, the state has decreased its share of special ed funding. In 2025, combined federal and state support for special ed was only 16.65%, leaving property taxes to fund the vast majority of the costs.
There are a myriad of other unpredictable expenses school districts face. Consider the cost schools will face this winter to heat outdated buildings and the impact of persistently elevated gas prices on organizations that rely on vehicles with an average fuel efficiency around five miles per gallon to transport their students. Please vote No on ballot measure 2.