Governor Lynch and a bipartisan group of lawmakers say targeted aid holds the key to reaching a lasting solution to funding schools.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers has more.
According to the Governor, his plan is nothing short of "the best policy for our state and the best policy for our children…" The governor said he crafted a plan that warrants such a descriptive by focusing on some fundamentals.
"It must embrace our Constitutional responsibility to ensure that every child has the opportunity for a quality education. It must eliminate the statewide property tax and donor towns. It must direct more aid to communities that need it the most. It must be sustainable for the long term and predictable for communities. And it must allow us to focus on improving quality -- and this plan meets all of these goals."
Lynch proposal relies on a distribution formula he calls the education equity index -- or EEI……The index includes three factors…….The fiscal capacity of a community based on by equalized property valuation and median income. Education challenges….as reflected by the number of students on free and reduced lunch and who don't speak English. And student performance, as measured by third and sixth grade assessment tests, graduation rates, and the number of students who go directly to college….
"With this index each community is ranked relative to other communities relative to other communities and state aid is distributed accordingly. We have set our target at 20 percent above the state average."
That means that towns rate at or below 20 percent above average get state aid, and those that don't, don't….The plan also includes a transition period…..that would cap aid loss at 25 percent a year……for the next 6 years…….To the many supporters in attendance -- the Lynch plan represents a good compromise……GOP state Senator Bob Odell is one of the measure's co-sponsors…..His district includes Claremont….. and that the proposal meets the test of the Claremont decisions.
"It meets the criteria in my mind of the Supreme Court wanting to make sure everybody ahs a fair chance at an adequate education To me this does that -- it brings those with the least opportunity up the scale, up the ladder."
Claremont would pick up about 2 million dollars under the Lynch plan……Another city that benefits is Manchester….. to the tune of 7 million dollars…..The queen city has a lawsuit pending over the current funding system…….Democratic Mayor Bob Baines calls the Lynch plan a major step in the right direction.
"For the first time that I've been around and I've been around education for 36 years now I've never seen a plan actually that targets aid where it's needed the most, so I'm very excited about it and going to work very hard with the Governor to get it passed.
But as Deputy House speaker Ken Weyler points out it's easy to like a plan that benefits your community… His town would lose $400,000 under the Lynch plan…….But he's cosponsoring it anyway.
"If you voted for something that got you town less and another candidate voted for something that got you town more, the perception is he'll probably get more votes, you may lose. That's the risk people have to be willing to take."
John Lynch's school funding plan next heads to the house education committee. The committee is already considering a host of school funding proposals……The measures are scheduled to head to the full house in March.
