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Senate rejects school funding adjustment

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On Thursday, May 12 the New Hampshire Senate rejected a bill amendment that would have repealed a cap on state funding for fast-growing school districts.

State education funding for each town is calculated according to enrollment numbers, the number of students receiving free lunches, the number of English language learners, and several other factors.

Starting in 2009 the state limited any increase in state funding, so a town could receive no more than 108% of the previous year's funding from the state.  The cap was intended to make year-to-year funding more consistent and predictable.

Last year the legislature greatly increased that cap.  However, fast-growing school districts argue they have still been cheated out of adequate funding.  In August 2015 the Dover School District filed a lawsuit over the funding cap.

In 2016 Sen. David Watters of Dover sponsored a bill to repeal the cap entirely for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2015.  The Senate voted to table that bill in March.  Sen. Watters reintroduced the bill in May as an amendment to an unrelated bill, HB 1144.  The Senate also voted down the amendment.

Supporters noted that a current budget surplus can cover the additional funding.  The state Attorney General also agrees with Dover that the funding cap is unconstitutional.

"A strong public education system is critical to helping our students develop the skills and innovative thinking needed for success in the 21st century economy. ... I am disappointed that Senate Republicans today voted against doing the right thing for our students and towns," Gov. Maggie Hassan said after the Senate session May 12.

Opponents argued that the state already acted to ease the cap, and the state should wait until the next budget cycle to make further changes.  Other opponents were concerned that completely lifting the cap would diminish the amount of funding available for poorer school disricts with decreasing enrollment.

Do you think the state should repeal its cap on education funding this year?  Let us know in the comments.

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