Croydon — The New Hampshire Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would allow towns like Croydon to pay private-school tuition with public money, a piece of legislation that former Governor Maggie Hassan vetoed last year but that Governor Chris Sununu has said he would support.

The bill, SB-8, would allow towns like Croydon, which sends its children to other towns after fourth grade, to pay tuition for private schools using tax dollars.

An ongoing court case between the Croydon School Board and the New Hampshire Department of Education over the practice has been stayed while the legislation pends.

Hassan, a Democrat, vetoed an earlier version of the bill out of concern it could undermine public schools.

Sununu, a Republican, has voiced support for it.

Newly elected state Sen. Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, whose district includes Croydon, is one of the bill’s sponsors.

“This has been a long standing problem for my community of Croydon, and by passing this legislation today, this bill is one step closer to allowing parents and local school boards to choose the education that best fits the needs of their students,” Ward said in a news release Thursday morning. “We should always strive to give parents the ability to make decisions allowing their children to succeed in the best possible educational environment suited to their individual needs. I look forward to the House’s support for this measure and for Governor Sununu to sign it into law.”

As written, the bill does not include assessment requirements that would allow the state Department of Education to ensure private schools receiving these funds are meeting adequacy standards.

State officials had cited a lack of accountability as another reason to oppose the bill, and in 2016, one of its prime sponsors unsuccessfully attempted to add a provision that private schools receiving tax money take state assessments.

“I encourage members of the (state) House to embrace this legislation,” Sununu said in a statement Thursday that applauded the passage of SB-8 and another bill, “and I look forward to the opportunity to sign these important bills into law.”

Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or at 603-727-3242.