New Hampshire lawmakers have reached a compromise on the definition of an adequate education.
Now the full House and Senate must sign off.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports that leadership in both chambers expects that to happen.
After three contentious days of negotiations this week lawmakers believe they have taken a big step towards addressing the state’s on-going education funding crisis.
They’ve done that in part by identifying the subject areas schools must offer including- English, math, science, social studies, world languages and arts.
Last year the state Supreme Court ruled in a case brought about by the town of Londonderry that the Legislature must define an adequate education by July 1st or face court involvement.
Attorney William Chapman- the lead attorney in that case- says knowing what content areas make up an adequate education is leagues beyond the current law.
5:28 what the state has relied upon is a law enacted in the 1998...and there are seven sub-parts to it, and I will just give you an example, skill in reading, writing and speaking English...to communicate effectively, creatively and critically......it really stated a goal the objective of an education as opposed to what the content is.
Chapman says the court ruled in the Londonderry decision that the definition had to be specific enough so parents will know whether their child is getting an adequate education.
He stopped short of saying whether the state Supreme Court would consider the measure constitutional.
And he believes the court would intercede only if the measure is challenged.
The committee of conference also is encouraging full-day kindergarten.
A politically charged position to take in the only state in the country that doesn’t offer public kindergarten in all of its school districts.
Committee member Democratic Representative Emma Rous says if the bill is passed, it would put the state on par with the rest of the nation.
10:20 at this point the state encourages all districts to have at least half-day kindergarten. So by removing half-day, it leaves the door open for districts to put in full-day, with state help.
‘With state help,’ is exactly what concerns Republican Representative David Hess.
Hess requested to be removed from the committee once the group’s position on kindergarten became clear.
:18 that completely opens the door, in my mind to a successful challenge by communities around the state to include up to a full day of kindergarten, requiring the state to cover the cost for kindergarten. And I estimate that to cost the state an estimated 20-50 million dollars.
Democrats on the committee dismissed Hess’s concerns.
While Hess says the kindergarten language will turn off House Republicans, he admits the GOP doesn’t have the votes to derail the measure.
In the other chamber, Senate President Sylvia Larsen says she expects the measure to pass with at least 15 of the 24 senators in support.
But the committee of conference underscored the rift in the Democratic Party.
On one side, the House members and the governor were leery the Senate version would put the state on the hook for additional education spending.
On the other was Senator Iris Estabrook who fought hard to preserve language that would have sent additional aid to so-called enhanced needs schools.
6:17 I think to some extent we are too concerned with cost, or the potential liabilities for cost.
Estabrook represents a number of Democrats who believe the state should be spending more money on education.
If the bill becomes law, Estabrook likely get a chance to help determine how much the state will pay for education.
A provision in the measure would create a legislative committee charged with costing an adequate education.
That committee must provide the Legislature with recommendations by February 1st, 2008.
The House and the Senate will vote on the plan Wednesday June 27th.
If it does pass, then Senator Estabrook predicts the state will begin the daunting task of deciding what resources are needed, how much they’ll cost, and maybe most divisively- which schools get what.
For NHPR News, I’m DG.
