School Choice

Lawmakers rejected bills mandating new public school courses, open enrollment expansion, and increased oversight of the state’s school voucher program.

New Hampshire students can still attend schools outside their district and take their local tax dollars with them – unless their community adopted policies in March preventing them from doing so.

The legislation would allow students to attend any school in the state and take their state education aid with them.

The introduction of an enrollment cap serves as the first legislative development since an earlier universal open enrollment bill suffered a surprise defeat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives last month.

A student’s home district would cover special education costs but their new district would pick up the cost for other accommodations.

The new chair, Sen. Suzanne Prentiss of Lebanon, a Democrat, said she plans to look into the program’s effect on public education funding and how families become eligible for an additional special education stipend.

New Hampshire lawmakers expanded the Education Freedom Account program to all families, regardless of income, in June. Fall enrollment has reached the 10,000 student limit.

In the four years since New Hampshire launched a school voucher program, 11 of the 28 Christian schools in the state have either newly opened or grown by at least 50%.

The program has generated explosive and personal debate among thousands of homeschoolers.

He'll stay on in the role through the end of this school year, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Thursday.