HR40

I'd like to say that I can't beleive I find myself needing to spend time supporting legislation to require my elected representatives to follow multiple Supreme Court rulings, but I guess that's just the world we're living in. Support this bill. Stop the madness. Stop wasting time and resources trying to segregate educational opportunities by wealth and zip code. I am parent of school-aged children and a property taxpayer in a property-poor town. This is about constitutional responsibility and basic fairness. Please do your duty. Honor your oath and the state Constitution, protect taxpayers, and ensure EVERY child in New Hampshire has access to an adequate education.

For years we’ve watched businesses and wealthy individuals of New Hampshire have their taxes cut in ways that do not increase the economic activity or produce jobs in any meaningful way. Instead we see higher property taxes, which are then challenged by local town budget hearings, and ultimately it’s the schools that are always targeted for cuts with no increases in the budget. As a young person, and a parent, I’m sick of watching the young people of this country sold out so that a handful of geriatrics and family dynasties can continue to line their pockets and steal the future away from those who didn’t have the luxury of being born into wealth. I want education prioritized higher than the interest and dividends of wealthy investors. I want my state to be one where we can be proud to say that our education isn’t unconstitutionally funded. It’s clear from the voting records that have shaped this landscape that education is not a priority for the granite state, and public funding for schools will continue to be the target of bad actors who seek to benefit from our tax dollars. Resulting from this, property taxes increase and housing becomes unaffordable to make up the difference. Supporting the funding of education is a crucial component of a functioning society, lest we fall victim to the brain drain of our residents seeking quality education elsewhere; something that has been made apparent by some of our lawmakers to intentionally drive people out of the state. This kind of exclusionary thinking should have no place in New Hampshire, let alone America, as we should be coming together to provide the best lives for our children and future generations - not kicking people out so a few antisocial bigots and prudes can live in a fantasy world detached from the reality that so many face. That is why I write in support of this legislation, and hope that many of our lawmakers will stop putting selfish interests first, look at how that mentality got us here, and work to improve things instead of doing the same thing over and over leaving our state and schools underfunded while they work on isolating themselves through immature perspectives and pet projects that push normal, caring people out.

I strongly support public education!

Do what is right for the children of NH. Vote YES!

The state of NH must meet it's constitutional obligation regarding educational funding. I support this resolution.

The NH legislature has a constitutional obligation to fund education adequately, further confirmed by several supreme court decisions. Downshifting that responsibility and cost onto municipalities through local property tax is no longer acceptable by supreme court decision.

I strongly support this resolution urging the legislature to adequately fund public education. For decades, the courts have made one principle unmistakably clear: the State of New Hampshire has a constitutional obligation to define, fund, and deliver an adequate public education to every child. That duty is not optional. It is not aspirational. It is foundational to our democracy. Public education is not a line item to be minimized, it is the backbone of economic opportunity, civic participation, and community stability. When the state underfunds schools, the burden shifts onto local property taxpayers, deepening inequities between wealthy communities and those with fewer resources. That is not just inefficient policy; it is unjust. Adequate funding means more than bare minimum compliance. It means ensuring students have access to qualified teachers, safe and modern facilities, special education services, mental health supports, up-to-date materials, technology, transportation, and enrichment opportunities. It means recognizing that rural districts, high-poverty districts, and communities with higher needs require real investment. Not rhetoric. This resolution affirms what the New Hampshire Supreme Court has repeatedly held: the legislature must define the components of an adequate education, determine its cost, fund it with constitutional statewide taxes, and ensure accountability. Respecting the separation of powers includes respecting the judiciary’s role in interpreting the Constitution. The courts have spoken. It is time for the legislature to act. Chronic underfunding harms students, strains teachers, drives up local property taxes, and undermines workforce development. Businesses depend on an educated workforce. Communities depend on strong schools. Families depend on stability and fairness. This resolution is not about partisanship. it is about constitutional responsibility and moral clarity. Every child in New Hampshire, regardless of ZIP code, deserves a genuinely adequate education funded at the state level, as our Constitution requires. Supporting this resolution is a commitment to equity, to fiscal fairness, and to the future of our state.

My name is Keegan Steffen, and I am a resident of Somersworth. I am writing to testify in support of HR40 because I believe every child in New Hampshire is constitutionally entitled to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. Currently, New Hampshire ranks among the lowest in the nation for state-level support of public education and this is unacceptable. We are forced to carry a % of the cost through local property taxes. This creates a 'zip code destiny' where students in property-poor towns have fewer opportunities than those in wealthy ones. This isn't just unfair; as our courts have REPEATEDLY ruled, it is simply unconstitutional. In our local schools, we have seen a disgusting amount of funding cuts causing 20+ teachers to be laid off in per school district increasing class sizes and exhausting our detrimentally undervalued teachers and school faculty, deferred building maintenance, and cuts to specialized programs. Without restored state funding, our town is faced with the impossible choice of either cutting essential services for children or pricing seniors out of their homes with skyrocketing tax rates. Restoring funding through HR40 is a necessary step toward meeting the state's constitutional obligation. It would provide real property tax relief to residents statewide while ensuring our schools have the resources like teachers, technology, and safe facilities. They need to function lawfully and effectively.

I strongly support this bill! It is about time that the state follow the NH Supreme Court ruling and adequately fund public education!!! The state has already weaseled out of paying for an adequate education our children for decades. We are LAST in the nation for state aid to public education. Our poor and middle class property owners and renters are suffering under the tremendous burden of local property taxes that get more onerous every year under Republican Free Stater rule.

For Pete's sake, just DO what you are constitutionally required to do!!

It’s time for the education committees to agree on the definitions of an appropriate & adequate education for NH students. And it’s beyond time for NH to meet its financial obligations for NH students.

• Define what an adequate education is • Determine its cost • Fund it using constitutional taxes • Ensure accountability for delivery Courts have been clear for decades — yet many communities continue to face higher local property taxes and strained school resources because the state has not fully acted.

I strongly support HR?40, which urges the legislature to adequately fund public education and comply with the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s Claremont rulings. Adequate funding is essential to ensure that every student, regardless of income, background, or geographic location, has access to the resources and instruction necessary for a quality education. By reaffirming the legislature’s constitutional obligations to define, cost, fund, and hold schools accountable for delivering an adequate education, this resolution promotes equity and accountability in our public school system. HR?40 is a critical statement of principle at a time when funding disparities continue to affect students in under-resourced districts. While symbolic, this resolution underscores the legislature’s responsibility to uphold the rights of all students and provides guidance for future policymaking and budgeting decisions. Supporting HR?40 signals a commitment to closing gaps in educational opportunity, ensuring every New Hampshire child receives the education they deserve.

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing to express my support for HR 40 and for the legislature taking meaningful steps to adequately fund public education in New Hampshire. For decades, the courts have made clear that the state has a constitutional responsibility to define, fund, and deliver an adequate education for every student. Most recently, the New Hampshire Supreme Court reaffirmed this obligation in the ConVal case. Despite these rulings, school funding in our state remains deeply unequal. HR 40 is an important step toward recognizing and complying with the state’s constitutional duty and ensuring that every student has access to an adequately funded public education. I urge you to take this responsibility seriously and support efforts to address these longstanding inequities. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I'll say what I said for HB 1815, NH has been underfunded in education since the 90's and the legislature just been ignoring the the ruling ever since. Its well past time for the state legislature to follow the law.

FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION. TO THE SPONSORS: Stop disregarding the law. You won't do anything to fund public schools. You are stealing our tax dollars to fund your pet project. This is an imposition of your will on the common good for all of us.

We rarely support HR bills because they are not binding. But this question, of whether our legislators believe the state has an obligation to fund public education, is one we and everyone should watch for who opposes this concept, so basic to providing equal educational opportunity to all .

I strongly support this bill which urges the legislature to adequately fund public education. For too many years, the legislature has flagrantly as well as unconstitutionally disregarded school funding decisions. of the NH Supreme Court.

I support this bill because I firmly believe that the state needs to support public education.

I support this bill

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing to express my support for HR 40 and for the legislature taking meaningful steps to adequately fund public education in New Hampshire. For decades, the courts have made clear that the state has a constitutional responsibility to define, fund, and deliver an adequate education for every student. Most recently, the New Hampshire Supreme Court reaffirmed this obligation in the ConVal case. Despite these rulings, school funding in our state remains deeply unequal, causing ever rising property taxes, when fewer and fewer are able to afford them. HR 40 is an important step toward recognizing and complying with the state’s constitutional duty and ensuring that every student has access to an adequately funded public education. I urge you to take this responsibility seriously and support efforts to address these longstanding inequities. Melanie Hamilton

It seems absurd that a bill should be needed to tell the state legislature to fulifoll its legal obligations, but decades of avoidance and obstruction show that every effort is needed to compel the legislature to stop cheating New Hampshire school students out of adequate state funding.

This lack of equal funding for every school in NH has gone on long enough. Act now and adhere to the NH Supreme Court rulings.

This lack of equal funding for every school in NH has gone on long enough. Act now and adhere to the NH Supreme Court rulings.