The Issues: Education

Our state currently pays out on a "per pupil" rate to school districts that is not only way below what it actually costs to keep teachers in their positions, but doesn't account for the expenses beyond teachers themselves, and the state says that those needs are not part of educating our kids. I call BS. This mindset disproportionately affects our small schools districts, which means the North Country is paying much more in property taxes to keep our schools going, at the cost of providing quality opportunities for our students.

For example, the average home price in Manchester for a standard starter three bedroom starter has been hovering just over $400,000. The same type of home in Littleton is also averaging around $400,000. Median incomes in the two towns are slightly different, with Manchester earning a few thousand more a year than a Littleton resident. However, Littleton currently has a town school tax rate of $12.96 on the thousand. Manchester? $7.38. Homes assessed for the same value (which, I do know and understand is different than the average home price for market estimates) are paying nearly double the amount for Littleton's schools than Manchester homes are to keep Manchester schools open. And you'll find similar rates throughout the entire North Country and other small schools throughout the state. So not only do we make less, but we're paying out more of our hard earned money and at much higher rates than residents in our more populated towns in the state.

Something has to give. While I am a long-time supporter of regionalizing our schools (as someone who went through the same school systems), I recognize that the reality is that we need a comprehensive overhaul from the top down of how we fund our schools. The state keeps finding any way it can to avoid kicking in its share and devalues the necessary equipment and safety of our buildings to keep downplaying its responsibility to our children. It's simply not okay. I was one of those kids. I refuse to keep letting our kids have fewer and fewer options simply because our funding is disproportionately raised and allocated. 

I am strongly opposed to expanding our school voucher program. Public schools were the backbone of building a strong middle class in the 20th Century. It was viewed by many as "the great equalizer," and to funnel public funds to private hands serving specific education agendas is the opposite of that notion. Yes, raising your children how you want is your prerogative as a parent. But making sure our kids have equal opportunity is our prerogative as a society. Our public schools are suffering under the voucher program, and not only is it putting more pressure on towns to make up the fiscal difference, but it is also straining our public school systems in terms of hiring and keeping talented educators at all levels. And as we learn more about how to teach our kids and meet them where they are, we will need a diverse portfolio of teachers of all styles. We can only achieve access for the many by funding it for all.

If you have not heard of Fair Funding NH, I highly recommend reading up on their research and work. It is one thing to know that things are unequal, it's another to see the raw data outlined so clearly. If we are going to make the North Country a place where kids want to stay, we need to make it a valuable place for them. It starts with a strong education.​