FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2008

Rep. Dan Eaton, (603) 271-3164

HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTES

ON EDUCATION COSTING BILL

CONCORD – The House Finance Committee voted today for legislation that determines the cost of providing an adequate education to all New Hampshire students. This legislation now heads back to the House floor.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court tasked the Legislature with defining, costing and funding an adequate education, and a bill from last year’s session that defined an adequate education has already been signed into law.

"This legislation is a thorough and thoughtful examination of the cost of the components of an adequate education as defined by the legislature and fulfills the state's constitutional responsibility to determine the cost of adequacy,” said Rep. Dan Eaton (D-Stoddard).

Senate Bill 539 allocates aid per pupil based on universal costs. The cost of adequacy includes Special Education, English Language Learners, and schools with students who receive Free and Reduced Price Lunch. These factors are all included in the average per student amount of the cost of an adequate education.

The total cost of providing an adequate education for every public school pupil under this plan is estimated to be about $940 million. Under this legislation, no town will get less money than they currently receive, and a cap of 15% will be put on communities that are slated to receive increased aid over what they currently receive from the state. In addition, all donor towns will be “held harmless” for a two-year period, during which time they will not remit money back to the state.

This legislation will also set up two commissions – one to study and determine school accountability, and one to study fiscal aid, transition aid and the fixed costs of small school districts that may not have been addressed.