NH House Testimony

HB557

House · 2025 sessionRepublicanSigned into law

School budget ballot information

AI

Requires certain information to be printed on the school budget ballot.

relative to the information that appears on the school budget ballot.

ElectionsEducation - General

Status

Signed into law · August 11, 2025
  1. Introduced
  2. House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Division of testimony

57 submissions
Support 5Oppose 52Neutral 0
Deborah PayneOpposeBrentwood, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Information is available on the state website. No need to make the ballot longer.

Debrah HowesOpposeBow, NHfor American Federation of Teachers - NHFeb 5, 2025

AFT-NH opposes this bill because it is duplicative of much of the information that is already available to voters numerous times during the school district budget process. This includes deliberative session, through budget committee meetings and school board meetings, on the SAU website and on the NH Department of Education website. Placing the information as described in the bill on the written ballot for voting day would provide isolated pieces of data with no chance to ask clarifying questions or to put the information in complete context. Some of the the categories in the bill do not match how employees are categoriezed in the actual workforce in school districts. There are part-time employees, contracted service providers, and numerous full time employees that this bill would classify as administrators just because they work full time and are not a classroom teacher. This bill will add to voter confusion.

Hannah MageeOpposeOssipee, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

I oppose this bill. This information is public already. Putting it on the budget ballot without needed context (school size, state wide numbers) is deceptive to the public voting on these measures. This appears to be a push to reduce school funding by shocking the voters with numbers that have no meaning printed on a ballot.

Linda tannerOpposeSunapee, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

This is a totally unnecessary bill. This information is already available for public schools. How about charter schools?

Catharine FarkasOpposeSanbornton, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

The agenda seems to be to defund public schools....and discourage public support.

Daniel SmithOpposeNewmarket, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

I oppose this bill. This bill does nothing to inform the public as the numbers to be presented are entirely out of context. How much should a district spend per pupil? That depends heavily on the district's size and enrollment. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all answer. Also, comparing future budgets to past enrollment will likely lead to misleading results.

Marie StraitonOpposePembroke, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Don't you have better things to be concerned with...like gun violence in our schools?

John PetitOpposeLitchfield, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Please vote against HB557. It is another state mandate on school districts at a time when the State of New Hampshire is still not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide an adequate education. First fund the state's share of its local education costs and reduce the property tax burden!! Thank you.

Rina PetitOpposeLitchfield, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

HB557 is another state mandate on school districts at a time when the State of New Hampshire is still not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide an adequate education. First fund the state's share of its local education costs and reduce the property tax burden!! Anyhow, the wording in this bill needs context added... an extensive amount of context... otherwise it's information that is meaningless. Please vote HB557 inexpedient to legislate. Thank you.

Kristin RothOpposeLyme, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

I oppose this bill as it adds administrative burden to school districts while simultaneously attempting to criticize school districts for the number of administrators they have. This information is already available to New Hampshire residents. You cannot keep forcing more administrative tasks on school districts and also expect them to cut administrative costs.

Benjamin StinsonOpposeConcord, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Aubrey FreedmanSupportBridgewater, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

David HoltOpposeSomersworth, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Charles PetruccelliOpposeWebster, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Maxine PetruccelliOpposeWebster, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Darlene MannOpposeHollis, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Ryan LenaOpposeExeter, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Michelle St. JohnOpposeHollis, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Susan HolcombeOpposeHanover, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Nancy BrennanOpposeWeare, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Patricia MartinOpposeRindge, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Anne ThomasOpposeRindge, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Molly SteeleOpposeDurham, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Ruth PerencevichOpposeconcord, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.

Lynn MerloneOpposeRindge, NHfor MyselfFeb 5, 2025

Position recorded without written comment.