HB1803

Good morning, We are one of the many families that receive the ETC and EFA scholarships. My husband is an American Army Veteran. We have four kids. My oldest daughter is serving in the United States Air Force. And my three little ones attend Dublin Christian Academy. In their first years of education, my kids were attending public schools. We had a great experience in the Keene School District, but once we moved, my kids, as students, and my husband and I, as parents, experienced a different kind of encounter with the public school system. My kids were bullied for their values, their beliefs and their hearing impairment. My husband and I, as parents, tried to communicate with teachers, principal and school district but we noticed that we were being avoided. This was four years ago. We were thinking about different options to provide a good education for our kids. We knew that we needed to act soon to find a place for our kids to receive the education that they need to become well educated citizen that will bring their best to the growth and development of their families, their community and their country, an education that aligns with the values and education that we, as parents are providing at home, and without the help of the ETC and EFA education funds, it would not be possible for our children to receive the education they deserve and need to become the capable and kind-hearted citizens that our nation needs. Our children receive not only academic instruction in various subjects at Dublin Christian Academy, but they have also grown intellectually, spiritually, and cognitively. Their self-esteem is being shaped with the values our country needs. We ask you, please, to support us, my family, and the other families who benefit from the ETC and EFA educational funds, so that we can continue with this project of love and development for the well-being of our families, our communities, and our nation. Thank you for your time. God bless you, God bless your families, God bless America.

(I apologize, this is the speech I meant to give. I apologize for my nerves and getting off track. Thank you so much for your time) ?Opposition to HB 1803 ?Introduction (30 seconds) Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. My name is Keri Mallahan, and I am a single mother of three beautiful girls from Newport. I am here today to urge you to please vote no on HB 1803. I am physically disabled and live on a fixed Social Security Disability income. For my family, this isn’t just a policy debate; i know this sounds dramatic, but this bill being passed wouldn't just be devastating to my children… not just detrimental to … all of us really… but it's equivalent to a threat. to my children’s safety and their futures. (30 Seconds) Currently, my children are able to attend a school that meets their needs. All of their needs… mind, body, and soul. And its only because we can access both the Education Tax Credit and the Education Freedom Account. Because of my disability and my status as a single parent, I cannot bridge the gap if one of these is taken away. If HB 1803 passes, it effectively cancels my right to school choice. It forces my children out of a school they love and back into a system that has already failed them." ?Why We Left Public School (1 minute) "I will not send my children back to the public system, and I want to be clear about why. That system failed my disabled daughter in ways that were legally and morally egregious. They consistently violated her IEP, and as a legally blind child, she was even assigned a music teacher instead of a qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired. They let her walk unaccompanied during a parade… with a guide OR her cane. She ended up falling a smacking her head on the pavement.wgen I brought this to theI admin I was told that she did have a guide… Thats when I presented them with a video that another parent, that knew of condition, had taken and sent to me. (Having a guide in unfamiliar areas was in her IEP). I had to fight for the bare minimum, and even then, she was physically hurt more than once. ?Beyond safety, my older children were years behind in math and basic literacy because their classrooms were managed like ‘zoos,’ where teachers spent all their time on behavioral management rather than instruction. In their current school, my middle daughter has gone from not knowing her times tables to a 3.3 GPA. She is thriving because she finally feels safe and valued, yes! But more so, she finally being appropriately educated. ?The Lack of Alternatives (30 seconds) Some might suggest homeschooling, but as someone with physical disabilities, I simply cannot meet the physical demands of teaching three children at home. My children’s current school is a loving nurturing environment where they aren’t exposed to the vulgarity, violence, and neglect they faced previously in Newport publuc school. Taking one of these scholarships ships away, for our family, makes the other basically not usable. This bill will unequivocally force my children from their current school. For the first time, my oldest daughter doesn’t wake up with panic attacks… something she did all the time while attending public school. Her mental is so much better… changing school for her didn't just change her life… it saved her life. ?Conclusion (30 seconds) Depriving low-income, disabled families from the ability to use these scholarships simultaneously is depriving our children of an education they deserve! If you must implement this rule, why not apply it to high-income earners who can afford the difference? For a family like mine, HB 1803 is an eviction notice from our school. Please, do not take away my daughters voices… because they're are all begging you to please.. Please vote NO on HB1803. Please remember that a vote for YES on HB1803 is also a vote that is hurting and punishing so many of your states poorest children and families. Thank you. typically newport ranks in the bottom quartile of New Hampshire public high schools. it faces challenges in standardized testing and graduation rates compared to state averages. School is just very recently reported at 82%, based on the most recent 2024–2025 assessment data. ?While this represents a ((significant)) improvement from several years ago, it remains roughly 6–8% lower than the New Hampshire state average100% graduation rate. Mount Royal academy in Sunapee, ?As a private Catholic school with a small, focused student body ?National Recognition: It is ranked #115 of 197 for Best Catholic K-12 Schools in America and is a member of the Cardinal Newman Society’s Catholic Education Honor Roll, a distinction given to less than 5% of Catholic high schools

I personally would not be able to afford to send my daughter to the school she goes to if I did not receive both of these options that I now have available to me. Even now it is a struggle but getting both options eases the struggle a little more for us to send her to a private school and better option of schooling.

My children will not be able to go to a private school if you take this bill away. Our 1st/2nd children have been fortunate to receive both scholarships and attend Bishop Brady High School. Now, my 3rd child will be attending High School next year as a Freshman. I will have two students at BBHS. Please keep it the way it is. Education is key to success! It’s the least we can do for our next generation!

Matthew Smith 674 Deering Center Road Weare NH 03281 15 Jan 2026 To: Members of the New Hampshire Legislature Re: Opposition to HB 1803 – Preserving Families’ Ability to Use Both EFAs and ETC Scholarships Dear Legislators, By introduction I am a retired US Air Force veteran, relying primarily on a disability pension I gave up a great deal to earn. I am also a single parent of two honor students, one of whom was recently inducted into the National Honor Society due to his dedication, hard work and sound instruction from some wonderful instructors at my child's learning institution. As a homeowner paying property taxes in New Hampshire since 2011, I am deeply concerned about the impact HB 1803 would have on my children’s education and the ability to manage costs which, as of this writing, are not covered to an extent that would be deemed sufficient for someone on a fixed income as myself. The EFAs and ETC scholarships work together in practice to make education affordable and flexible. The EFA covers part of tuition and educational services, while the ETC scholarship fills the gap the EFA cannot reach. For my family, relying on both these programs is the only way to ensure my children can attend a school that meets their academic and personal needs. If we are all concerned for “every childs” education as so often stated, being forced to withdraw any child from an institution they are excelling in seems like just words to regurgitate as if to show one really cares. HB 1803 would force families like mine to choose between these programs. I do not wish to fight as hard for my educational choice for my children as I did for a pension I clearly earned. As did I earn that of my funds for my property taxes. Forcing a choice would disrupt their education, reduce opportunities for growth, and create unnecessary financial hardship. I strongly urge you to oppose HB 1803 and allow families to continue using both EFAs and ETC scholarships. Doing so empowers parents, protects children’s educational opportunities, and honors the sacrifices of families like mine who have served our country and contributed to their communities. Thank you for your consideration and for prioritizing the needs of New Hampshire children and families. Sincerely, Matthew Smith

I oppose HB1803. I have four children and with the help of ETC Scholarships AND EFA accounts, we are able to choose the learning environment that suits their individual needs. Children's needs vary greatly, even within the same family. My children have blossomed in their own schools. Attending their current schools, they have developed a love of learning and a passion "to do." They love attending and look forward to being able to create, explore, and learn in unique ways. ETC Scholarships are privately funded and therefore should have nothing to do with publicly funded EFA accounts. In addition, families shouldn't have to forfeit funds at the end of each school year. Funds are already forfeited once a child graduates high school or withdraws from the program. If there are funds left in a child's EFA accounts at the end of the school year, it helps pay for future expenses. For example, my son is going into middle school next year. Which means he will be transitioning to a different school which requires students to bring their own laptops. Having any rollover from the previous year helps with the child's education for those types of expenses or tutoring that may arise. Please, consider the families that participate in these amazing programs. Consider how children's educations will be interrupted and even completely taken away (as would be the case within my own family). Vote against HB1803.

I am writing to share our personal experience and to respectfully express concern regarding HB 1803 and its potential impact on vulnerable children and the families who care for them. My husband and I currently have guardianship of a child who was born to two parents struggling with addiction and who have essentially abandoned him. At the request of DCYF and with the encouragement of his mother, we agreed to take him into our home in order to keep him out of the foster care system. This decision was made out of care for his well-being and stability, but it also came with significant responsibility. We are both his guardians and his teachers. The only way we have been able to continue providing him with a safe, consistent, and faith-based education at Tri-City Christian Academy is by responsibly using both the Education Tax Credit (ETC) scholarship and Education Freedom Account (EFA) funds. The ETC helps cover tuition, while EFA funds are used strictly for educational materials and learning supports. These programs are not being used redundantly or wastefully. Rather, they work together to make it possible for us to meet this child’s educational needs without placing further burden on the state or forcing him into a system everyone hoped to avoid. A restriction that prevents families from accessing both ETC and EFA support in the same year would directly jeopardize our ability to continue providing this child with the stability and education he deserves. More broadly, it risks harming families who step forward in crisis situations to care for children when biological parents cannot. We respectfully urge you to consider the real-life consequences of HB 1803 for families like ours who are doing everything possible to support vulnerable children while acting in the best interest of the state. Thank you for your time, service, and thoughtful consideration. Naomi L. Clark

My oldest daughter had extreme social anxiety which made public school nearly impossible for her to attend. After doing research we were able to get her a spot in Dublin Christian Academy which has been absolutely wonderful for her and has undoubtedly changed the course of her entire life. When my other children were getting to school age we had to decide whether to have them attend public school or join their sister at DCA. With both me and my wife working, it would have been impossible to coordinate getting different kids to different schools in different directions, especially now that they are all into activities. Having them all attend the same school has been nothing less than wonderful for not only the kids but our family as a whole. It was undoubtedly the right choice and would simply NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE without the help we receive from both scholarship opportunities. If we were limited to one or the other, we wouldn't be able to sustain the life we have built for our kids and they would have to be split and transitioned into new schools. I can't state enough how damaging this would be as their entire lives are built around what they have accomplished thus far in their school. With all of my heart I plead that this bill does not pass so that we can continue to have access to both scholarships and we can continue to give our kids the opportunities they have worked hard to earn.

I am continually confused why bills every year are introduced to try to restrict my children from getting a good education. As a homeowner in Manchester we pay our taxes. We are very active in our community. However Manchester public schools failed my children. They attend private school. We pay out of pocket quite a bit. We both work full time and financially sacrifice a lot so our kids can have a solid education that meets their unique education needs. Since this is a public testimony and their medical and birth history is their story to tell - but I will say their birth and trauma history directly impacts their abilities to learn and public school schools failed them. Combining the Children’s scholarship fund and the EFA give us room to breath and allow our kids to thrive educationally.

To Whom it May Concern, I am writing because my children currently receive EFA and ETC funds. I am a single parent, and these funds help pay for private schooling for my children. It is extremely important to me that I am able to decide where my children go to school! Making ends meet can be very difficulty at times, and I am thankful for both EFA and ETC funds (they are able to work together to help families with the cost of education). If the proposed bill were to pass, it would mean less funds going towards my children’s schooling (where they have attended for years) and more having to come out of my pocket! I propose keeping things as they are now in order to help the people (me being one of them) to have the freedom to send our children where we think would be best without as much financial strain! Thank you for your time and consideration, Shane DuBois

I oppose this because I believe the education of our children and grandchildren is vital. I believe parents and students should receive the assistance they need to make proper choices for education now and their academic future. Many families cannot consider private education due to the economic picture of their family. Thank-you!

I am a parent of 3 children that utilize the EFA funds as well as an ETC scholarship. It is vital that parents continue to receive these funds together. Though the EFA funds are extremely valuable, they do not always cover the full cost of tuition. Having an alternative stream of funds is crucial to offset the deficit. We are so grateful for the EFA funds as they put us as parents in control of our child's education and allow us to send them to the school of our choice that aligns with our values. Without these funds we could not afford to send them to these schools. I hope NH can continue to be a model for other states to follow in providing parents with control over their children's education.

I am a parent sending three boys to Laconia Christian Academy and this is only possible because of the EFA and ETC. It would be heartbreaking to not have this financial assistance in this current state of our world. My husband had to sell his business 6 months ago and has been diligently seeking new employment for six months. Please do not do away with the ETC. It has been truly a blessing and gift to our children to send them to the school of our choice that upholds our values.

I am a mother of 3 children who are now ages 13, 16, and 19. We moved to NH during a time of grief following the unexpected death of my husband and their father when they were just 2, 4, and 8. We came here for a fresh start, for nature and to build community. In our first year in NH my oldest child was not able to keep up with grade level curriculum and he was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. In order to make progress (about two grade levels behind) he was getting pulled out of classes for 1:1 instruction for almost two hours every day. While he made great strides in academic achievement, his self-esteem tanked and his joyful personality dissolved from exhaustion. It was then I began to look into other schooling options. The toll his school days took seemed too great. Our family was lucky enough to become one of the early recipients of the ETC scholarship. At the time, I was in graduate school and this award allowed my oldest to attend a private school where he had access to an education that supported ALL of his areas of intelligence. He is a kinesthetic learner and needs hands-on, creative, varied curriculum. It was still financially difficult, but I was able to borrow money and work extra to come up with the difference to afford tuition. My other children entered school soon, grandfathered in on the ETC scholarship. MY youngest has a similar academic profile. As a single parent providing fully for my family, the nurturing community, aftercare options, and supportive curriculum of their school was truly what made life possible. They were happy and thriving. It soon began to stretch us financially, however, once all the children entered elementary even with the generous ETC. It came to the point that I was not going to be able to sustain it. The EFA program began and was a miracle for our family; it allowed my children the continuity they needed to stay in their community and school, even in high school. I especially loved how it brought more diversity into our school and it made this education accessible to so many more people. My son completed high school and in is now thriving in a performing arts career that would NOT have been possible without both the ETC and EFA funds. When he was unable to keep up with some of the academic rigor of his curriculum without a cost to his mental health, I was able to direct EFA and ETC funds toward a vocationally focused schooling track, and he gain specialized training in his field alongside creative high school course work at home . My second child is currently thriving in high school as a straight A student, and is engaged in all that the school has to offer in sports and extracurricularly. My youngest hopes to follow, and will enter 9th grade next year-potentially in an athletic-focused specialty program. A private school option can mean the difference between of a good quality of life or one filled with struggle and even mental health risks— is out of reach for most families even with financial aid and ETC funds. My children will not be able to continue the last stretch of their schooling in their current environment if both funding sources are not available, and I know many others in the same position. So many families will not have the opportunity to choose what is best for their children once again, and it will be step backwards. Please do not pass a bill that will prevent all families from real access to the education their children may need.

As a single low income parent in the Manchester area the CSFNH both ETC & EFA programs have been a tremendous help for my children to get a better education & peace of mind for their safety. Since they have made the transition from public schools to private school they have flourished both educationally and socially. I would hate to see this bill get passed as it would take the opportunity away from many children who’s families can’t financially afford to give their children a better education and a better learning environment and experience. Our children are our future and deserve the best education that NH can offer.

To whom it may concern . I am a single parent trying to give my daughter a good education so if you take this scholarship away my daughter and many children will not be able to afford to go to these good schools .

This bill would not allow my son to have access to a great education with a small class which he needs. This bill would make it so that parents who want to send there kids to private school would not be able to

Good afternoon. My name is Azure and I am a 28 year old mother of three boys ages 14,8, and 6. This bill would majorly affect not just our family but many. I myself didn’t have the best life growing up. I was bounced from home to home, school to school just making it through the cracks. I had my first child when I was just 14. I have since graduated high school took collages courses and bust my butt working open to close daily 11+ hour week days. All three of my children are solely in my care ( grades 9th and 1st). My oldest has 100% shown a MAJOR educational increase switching from public to private school for his 4th grade year. Socially, emotionally, and academically. He receives amazing grades, involved in sports through his school, and the band. Along with my two youngest one who is on the spectrum and is thriving where he attends and the other who was diagnosed with learning disabilities, but has had MAJOR improvement with the amazing work this school has given. Non of this would be available without the help of the EFA and the ETC combined. Unfortunately a private high schools yearly tuition is extremely unaffordable for a single parent household. Over $14,000 to be exact let alone two other children in private elementary. As a single parent who receives zero help this would change my children’s life’s. I can’t even afford to miss a couple hours to speak in person about this. With having to submit income guidelines, tax forms, school forms I do believe it shows for itself how beneficial these are as either a stand alone or combined force to help fund a portion of a tuition.

Families need assistance and help for private schools. Public school can't be the only option. Public has gone way down hill since I was a child. And getting worse. Private is the onky option and I would love out of this state if this was passed.

I reserve tge right to private education as well as most NH families do.