SB101

Your constituents have made it clear they DO NOT want this. Do not pass this.

I am opposed to this bill as it will create schools woefully inadequate as a result of removing funds to support local schools in towns that are currently struggling under the burden of property taxes. The state’s focus should be on providing the best education for all students in the state regardless of zip code and not cater to the best connected, the most affluent, or the most vocal members minorities.

My name is Stacy Esposito and I am a resident of Hollis, NH, as well as a small business owner and licensed mental health professional. I am writing to express my opposition to SB101. While this bill may be presented as a way to improve transparency, accountability, or efficiency, I am deeply concerned about its broader impact on our public education system and the communities that rely on it. In practice, proposals like SB101 do not exist in isolation. When combined with other recent efforts, they contribute to a pattern of changes that alter how schools are evaluated, how funding decisions are made, and how public trust is shaped. Individually, these changes can appear reasonable. Collectively, they move us toward a system that is more constrained, less flexible, and ultimately less capable of meeting the diverse needs of students. As a clinician, I work closely with children and families, including those with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other support needs. Schools are not just places of academic learning, they are essential environments for social development, emotional support, and access to services. Policies that limit resources, narrow how success is measured, or create instability within the system disproportionately impact students who are already vulnerable. I am also concerned about how measures like this can unintentionally shift public perception. By restructuring how information is presented or how decisions are framed, they can create the impression that schools are underperforming or inefficient, even when educators are working within increasingly constrained conditions. This can erode trust over time and make it more difficult to sustain the strong public education system our communities depend on. New Hampshire already relies heavily on local funding for education, which places a significant burden on individual towns and taxpayers. Rather than introducing additional structural changes that may further strain the system, we should be focusing on equitable, sustainable solutions that support both students and communities. I urge you to consider the cumulative impact of policies like SB101, not just their stated intent, but how they function in the broader landscape of education policy. Our schools need stability, trust, and adequate resources to serve all students effectively. Thank you for your time and consideration.

This is not going to help fund NH schools or improve educational outcomes for the vast majority of NH students.

This is ridiculous. We need our tax money going to PUBLIC schools that are for everyone and not private schools that do not report on standardized tests, do not provide for special needs, and can exclude students.

As a parent of a child in New Hampshire’s public school system, I strongly oppose SB 101. This bill risks diverting critical funding away from neighborhood schools, undermining the stability and quality of education for the majority of students. Our public schools are the backbone of our communities, and policies like this could weaken their ability to serve all children effectively. I urge you to reject SB 101 and instead focus on solutions that strengthen, rather than destabilize, public education.

This will be difficult for schools and for students. Our school board and town both voted against it. Please oppose this bill.

I am writing in opposition to SB101. SB101 as written, constitutes an unfunded mandate to our cities and towns; the money that follows the child is not enough, as it has been drastically reduced, coinciding with a time when the Legislature simultaneously passed a variety of bills that defunds education. This bill should not pass, but if it does, we hope the Governor will see the fiscal mess something like this will create, and veto it.

I am a 73 year older who is totally disappointed in this country turning into Nazi Germany. What is the matter with you people? This bill will decimate public education. It was designed by the rich who have the means to hire a driver to transport their children. Rich communities will recruite talented athletes. Is this America? Iwish our governor, who used to like to set an example for her daughter, would stop listening to our pathetic president. I vote at every election and have a wonderful memory. If you pass this bill, you will be remembered for ruining education for all future children in our state. All I can say is “shame on you.”

School boards and citizens are overwhelmingly against this.

I believe this legislation will result in more/worse inequity between property rich & poor school districts.

I am a school psychologist and very much understand the workings and demands of public schools. I oppose this bill because it will put significantly greater pressure on tax payers to fund public schools and when tax payers already pay a significant amount of the school tax burdens. It will also create more inequities for families and children who cannot afford private schools. The quality of the public school will decline which will impact all of us if children are not educated adequately prepared to contribute to the working world and economy in the future.

Please listen to the majority of your constituents and education experts. This bill will seriously affect public education and all tax payers in NH in an extremely negative way.

The practical impacts of this proposed legislation have clearly not been thought through, or it would not be on the docket for consideration for voting. Has anyone considered what this will do for the poorer school districts when students that have the means will be transported to another school? That will leave behind a school with an even smaller budget filled with kids whose parents could not afford (either due to money or time constraints) to transport them to a different district. Has anyone considered that the richer school districts will use this as a way to poach the best athletes and smartest children from the other districts? So we stack the few richer schools even more (and I happen to live in one of those richer districts, and I think it is patently unfair what we will be able to do), and we create 3 or 4 competitive NH schools, and the rest, to the extent they can even afford to keep their doors open, are filled with the children that we as a State are leaving behind. This is a terrible result, and the fact that our legislature is considering it makes me ashamed of New Hampshire. Children deserve to have a good education, regardless of their parents' financial wherewithal. They are the future, and they deserve better from us.

I oppose SB 101

This bill seems like it was written by people out of touch with the reality of the school situation. Teaching children that if their parents have money they are able to switch schools for a better education, rather than fixing the systemic problem of NH education system, shows the next generation that you are fine with only educating those privileged. In addition, how do you expect this to work effectively? How do you prevent schools from recruiting students for sports teams, or for parents to switch the kids to have them participate in a better athletic program? Again, it sounds like this bill was pulled together in a hurry without proper consideration of the impacts. It avoids the problem that schools in NH need better funding and better support for teachers, in order to truly create an environment where children can thrive academically.

To the Members of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee, I STRONGLY OPPOSE SB101. CHAOS — a state of utter confusion. There are countless reasons why Open Enrollment is ill-suited for New Hampshire, but my primary concern is the chaos it will unleash across school districts statewide. I serve as an At-Large Member of the Manchester Board of School Committee. I am speaking solely as an individual, not on behalf of my colleagues or the Board. Manchester is the largest—and arguably the most complex—school district in New Hampshire. - 24% of our students receive special education services - 21% are English language learners - 53% are economically disadvantaged - 5% are experiencing homelessness For most of our students, the challenges they face daily are profound. Their neighborhood public school is likely the most stable, reliable, and supportive institution in their lives and for their families. Open Enrollment, as proposed in SB101, is an intentional disruption to New Hampshire’s public education system. The claim that it expands “school choice” is blatantly misleading; there is no true choice when access is limited to those with privilege, resources, and mobility. SB101 is riddled with structural problems and will produce negative consequences for communities that have no viable means to absorb or resolve them. If the State has “found monies” available to support Open Enrollment, those funds would be far better directed toward increasing per-pupil adequacy aid, which currently ranks dead last in the nation—a shameful statistic that should concern every resident of New Hampshire. I urge you to reject SB101 and the destabilizing impact it would have on public education and the students and families we serve in New Hampshire. I STRONGLY OPPOSE SB101. Sincerely, Cindy Stewart

This bill does not fully address the state’s FAILURE to fully fund PUBLIC EDUCATION

Please vote against this bill.

This bill is both detrimental to our students and those in our community who are hoping to age in place! NH should be supporting our schools and it's a disgrace that we come in dead last for state funding of public education. It just shows how much NH Republicans value education.

Public school funding is already s challenge for communities without this complication to theur budgeting

It would be a breath of fresh air if NH lawmakers focused on their duty to fairly fund an adequate education for all of our students instead of continuing to peddle distractions and partisan claptrap like this. They cook up and propose scheme after ideological scheme to undermine public education instead of focusing on doing what is right by the kids of New Hampshire. The public is sick of it, and I would l think by now certain members would be tired of looking like a bunch of clowns, transparently pushing for "fixes" that do nothing but serve a partisan agenda. Serve NH families instead! Do your jobs!

This undermines our public education system. We need to support public education. Our state does not legislate in a supportive manner

I absolutely oppose this bill.

I strongly oppose SB101 as it will create tax chaos and reduce options for the already less advantaged students of NH.