The New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee included SB 130, the extremely costly school voucher bill, into the state budget. SB 130 has been rejected by Granite Staters according to Reaching Higher NH by a ratio of 6:1. By adding it to the state budget, the Senate is evading public scrutiny of hearings and floor votes. Additionally, there is no fiscal note attached to the bill, so lawmakers won’t know how much it will cost the state.
According to Reaching Higher NH, if half of the eligible students adopted a voucher it would cost the state about $70 million in new state spending in its first three years. Another concern is the Senate chose not to restore the disparity aid that provides towns with low property tax bases with tax relief. These towns will have to make up approximately $27 million through tax increases, budget cuts or both.
There are more disconcerting issues. The scholarship organization is given carte blanche to handle millions of dollars of public funds with no oversight and with immunity from liability. There are no guidelines for qualifications for “educational service providers.” Vouchers (average $5,100) won’t help families at the bottom of the income scale because they won’t be able to afford the difference between the voucher and tuition.
A vote on school vouchers is imminent. Please contact your state representatives in expressing opposition to a concept that is fiscally harmful to the taxpayer and fraught with lack of accountability.
Marcia Hayward
Laconia
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