For an update on New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, see Gary Rayno’s piece in InDepthNH.org: “Education Freedom Account Data Shows Wealthy Parents Flock to Free Money.”
Here are some details:
The law (passed by the Republican legislators and signed by Gov. Ayotte) removed the salary cap of 450% of the poverty level so that any family, regardless of income, is eligible for taxpayer funding of educational programs other than the public schools. It covers the next two years. It doubled the number of children in the program and the initial cap of 10,000 families now has a waiting list. The law is written such that if the cap is reached, then next year it rises to 12,500 families. It budgeted $86 million over the biennium, but based on an average family grant of $4,800, the cost will be $108 million which is a shortfall of $22 million. This shortfall will be made up mostly with property taxes.
Additionally the EFA program participants don’t reflect the diversity, the percentage of lower income families or the percentage of students eligible for special education services that the public school population has. This is called cherry picking. The outcomes will be difficult to compare if the state Department of Education even makes that information public.
These same Republican lawmakers and governor “nearly eliminated state support for the arts, began charging low-income parents health care premiums and co-pays and slashed state aid to the University System of New Hampshire increasing tuition for in-state students.”
In my town of Grantham at last spring’s town meeting, we passed, by unanimous voice vote, a citizen petition asking that the Legislature and governor not pass the expanded EFA program until there was better information about its effect and there was a system of funding it that did not rely on the already overburdened property taxpayer. Sixteen other towns passed the same or similar petition.
Please let your elected officials know how you feel about your money going to rich families while your property taxes continue to rise as a result.