The emergency meeting of the Claremont School Board to discuss a significant budget deficit with currently unknown solutions left many of us deeply unsettled.
More than 30 years ago, the 1993 Claremont Decision found that the State of New Hampshire is responsible for providing an adequate education for all students and that relying on local property taxes is insufficient to fulfill this obligation. Despite subsequent court affirmations, the state Legislature has repeatedly neglected to even address this issue.
Claremont is once again the canary in the coal mine. This problem of downshifting state costs has been exacerbated by recent economic shifts. The soaring value of residential real estate since the pandemic has put immense pressure on working and middle-class families, forcing them to move to more affordable communities. Where a family can afford to live should not determine their educational outcomes. The courts have reinforced this repeatedly; now it is time for the Legislature, the Department of Education and the governor to take action.
This is Claremont’s crisis but it is everyone’s warning. I urge you and your readers to contact our state leaders and demand they finally fulfill their constitutional duty to our students.
Jennifer Nelson