Karin Cevasco | Support HB1636

Dear Members of the House Executive Departments & Administration Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to write in support of HB 1636. Identifying different and sustainable revenue sources to fund public education in the Granite State will alleviate strain on local property taxes. As a homeowner in Milford, NH, my property taxes increased by 19% in December 2025 over the July 2025 tax bill. It is a trend in increases that is just unsustainable. I worry about the long term affordability of home ownership, especially for our citizens living on fixed incomes. While I am a duly elected member of the Milford School Board, my testimony is solely my own. Funding from the State of New Hampshire allows our school board to meet the obligation to public education and provide the quality our students deserve. Currently, New Hampshire’s contribution to the Milford School District budget is less than 17%, while property taxes and federal aid disseminated through the State make up the remaining revenue in our $52 Million budget. In recent years, the State of New Hampshire has provided additional grant funding that has allowed us to upgrade security measures in our five school buildings, as well as filter the lead out of the drinking water in our schools. This State grant funding has ensured we can make infrastructure improvements without increasing property taxes rates for these needed upgrades. Increasing State adequacy aid per pupil, as decided in the recent ConVal court decision, will effectively decrease property tax rates for our hard working Milford residents, while still maintaining the public schools that our community members cherish.