The state Senate Judiciary Committee took testimony today on Governor Lynch's constitutional amendment to target education funding.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Governor John Lynch says right now, some schools have and some schools don't.
2:29 I have visited many schools across NH. And that equal opportunity doesn't exist the way it should. There is a disparity in what kids have. Children shouldn't be penalized for where they live. The children in Berlin, Claremont, Laconia and Pittsfield ought to have the same opportunity at education as children in some other communities.
Governor Lynch believes if the state could target aid to those communities than it could close the gap between rich and poor.
The only problem is that the state Supreme Court has ruled that if the state for example spends $7000 for each pupil in a struggling town like Franklin then it must for an affluent one like Amherst as well.
The court says, after so-called adequacy aid has been distributed to all communities then the state may target additional aid.
The governor's proposed constitutional amendment would allow the state to focus only on those communities that need help.
Under his plan each community would receive some sort of state aid, and the state would pay no less than 50% of the total annual statewide cost of an adequate education.
But Democratic state Representative Kim Casey says Lynch's proposal doesn't change what the state is currently doing.
6:11...His amendment does this it takes an inadequate sum of money, this may sound familiar, creates a formula and pays districts on the formula. Boy, that's what we have been doing for the past 30 years. And I don't understand why we need to put that in the constitution.
Casey says by limiting spending to half of the total cost of an adequate education, the state could be leaving any number of so-called middle-income communities with less money than they receive right now.
Other critics complain the constitutional amendment threatens local control by establishing a state definition for adequacy.
Former Republican Representative Paul Mirski.
2:26 whatever education is provided from here on will be under the complete direction and authority of the state and not local school boards.
Governor Lynch says he is putting much of his energy into the Senate over the next week in hopes he can persuade 60% of the Senators to pass the proposal.
For NHPR News, I'm DG
