HB 751-FN risks undermining rural public schools
Would I like my rural high school to have a swim team? A STEM lab? More advanced courses? Yes, yes, and yes! But those things cost money — money my school district doesn’t have.
If Open Enrollment bill HB 751-FN becomes law, I’ll be able to send my student to another district to access the amenities of wealthier schools. Sounds good, right?
Here’s the catch: under this proposal, my local district would be required to pay at least 80% of its average per-student cost to the receiving school. That means my home district loses funding while its core operating costs remain. Outcome: my property taxes go up to cover the new expense.
Whether a math class has five students or 25, the teacher’s salary is the same. The lights still need to be on. Busing doesn’t get cheaper. Losing students doesn’t suddenly make it less costly to run a school.
Supporters claim this bill will “incentivize school districts to make improvements to attract students.” That idea is absurd. Improvements take money. You can’t “incentivize” your way into a STEM lab or stronger course offerings if the money isn’t there.
School choice sounds appealing in theory. In practice, it accelerates inequity by rewarding districts that already have advantages while weakening smaller ones. If we truly care about opportunity, we should demand that the state increase public education funding. New Hampshire ranks dead last in state-level K-12 funding.
Contact your representatives and demand they vote NO on HB 751-FN.