As New Hampshire enters its fifth year of wrangling over how to pay for public schools, a leading business group says the state is footing too much of the bill for education. The Business and Industry Association or BIA says it?s working on a plan to cut the state?s share by as much as a third. But critics say that would leave some towns struggling to pay for schools. NHPR?s Trish Anderton reports.
THE B-I-A SAYS IT HASN?T FLESHED OUT THE DETAILS OF A PLAN YET. BUT B-I-A PRESIDENT JOHN CROSIER SAYS ONE THING IS CLEAR: THE CURRENT APPROACH TO EDUCATION FUNDING ISN?T WORKING.
10 00 we have committed ourselves to a formula that?s unsustainable and will be very damaging economically if we stay on this path so we have to find a way //to change the funding formula to look more like other states.
CROSIER SAYS THAT MEANS THE STATE WOULD PAY 35-40 PERCENT OF THE OVERALL COST OF EDUCATION. CURRENTLY ITS FOOTING 55 TO 65 PERCENT. THE BIA PRESIDENT SAYS THE STATE SHOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT IN TARGETING AID TO SCHOOLS THAT REALLY NEED IT. BEYOND THAT, HE WON?T COMMENT ON HOW TO DISTRIBUTE SCHOOL AID, OR HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY.
11 00 I?m not interested right now in defining how to pay. I?m more interested in getting a commonsense formula that?s fair and sustainable. Then we can have a discussion about how to pay for it.
AS FAR AS THE STATE?S BATTLE WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SUPREME COURT OVER EDUCATION FUNDING, CROSIER SAYS THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD COME UP WITH A PLAN FIRST, AND WORRY ABOUT ITS CONSTITUTIONALITY LATER. THE BIA HOPES TO BEGIN WORKING WITH LAWMAKERS ON THE IDEA SOON. THEY?LL GET AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION FROM HOUSE SPEAKER GENE CHANDLER. THE REPUBLICAN FROM BARTLETT SAYS HE NEEDS TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICS. BUT HE AGREES THE STATE SHOULD LOOK AT REDUCING ITS ROLE IN SCHOOL FUNDING.
22 146 I think we can do as much for education in this state with less money than we?re spending now.// 23 06 if you reduce what we?re paying by a certain percentage and make sure the right people are getting it, that?s very doable.
BUT CHANDLER?S DEMOCRATIC COUNTERPART CALLS THE IDEA OF SLASHING STATE SUPPORT SAD AND DESTRUCTIVE. HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER PETER BURLING OF CORNISH.
There are always folks who think its better to cheapen down, let the well off do better and the less well off do badly.
THE LAWYER FOR FIVE TOWNS THAT SUED THE STATE OVER EDUCATION FUNDING IS ALSO UNIMPRESSED. ANDRU VOLINSKY SAYS THE BIA IS GETTING AHEAD OF ITSELF BY FOCUSING ON THE PRICE TAG.
13 138 the problem is we?re working on this backward. We haven?t decided what children need. then we?re deciding without having made that conclusions who gets how much and how to pay for it, who?s deserving and who?s not.
NO-ONE AGREES ON EXACTLY HOW TO CALCULATE A STATE?S PORTION OF SCHOOL SPENDING. BUT STATISTICS FROM THE EDUCATION COMMISSION OF THE STATES SUGGEST THE B-I-A?S TARGET OF 35 TO 40% IS LOW. THE COMMISSION SAYS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR STATE SPENDING IS 50-PERCENT, AND THE NEW ENGLAND AVERAGE IS 44-PERCENT. WHATEVER THE DETAILS, THE MOVE APPEARS TO MARK A CHANGE IN THE B-I-A?S APPROACH TO SCHOOL FUNDING. LAST YEAR THE GROUP BACKED GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN?S PROPOSED SALES TAX. BUT THAT PLAN FAILED, AND THE LEGISLATURE HIKED BUSINESS TAXES FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW TO PAY FOR SCHOOLS. IF NOTHING ELSE, THE BIA SEEMS TO BE SIGNALING THAT IT?S HAD ENOUGH OF BUSINESS TAX INCREASES. FOR NHPR NEWS I?M
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