Keri Mallahan

(I apologize, this is the speech I meant to give. I apologize for my nerves and getting off track. Thank you so much for your time) ?Opposition to HB 1803 ?Introduction (30 seconds) Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. My name is Keri Mallahan, and I am a single mother of three beautiful girls from Newport. I am here today to urge you to please vote no on HB 1803. I am physically disabled and live on a fixed Social Security Disability income. For my family, this isn’t just a policy debate; i know this sounds dramatic, but this bill being passed wouldn't just be devastating to my children… not just detrimental to … all of us really… but it's equivalent to a threat. to my children’s safety and their futures. (30 Seconds) Currently, my children are able to attend a school that meets their needs. All of their needs… mind, body, and soul. And its only because we can access both the Education Tax Credit and the Education Freedom Account. Because of my disability and my status as a single parent, I cannot bridge the gap if one of these is taken away. If HB 1803 passes, it effectively cancels my right to school choice. It forces my children out of a school they love and back into a system that has already failed them." ?Why We Left Public School (1 minute) "I will not send my children back to the public system, and I want to be clear about why. That system failed my disabled daughter in ways that were legally and morally egregious. They consistently violated her IEP, and as a legally blind child, she was even assigned a music teacher instead of a qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired. They let her walk unaccompanied during a parade… with a guide OR her cane. She ended up falling a smacking her head on the pavement.wgen I brought this to theI admin I was told that she did have a guide… Thats when I presented them with a video that another parent, that knew of condition, had taken and sent to me. (Having a guide in unfamiliar areas was in her IEP). I had to fight for the bare minimum, and even then, she was physically hurt more than once. ?Beyond safety, my older children were years behind in math and basic literacy because their classrooms were managed like ‘zoos,’ where teachers spent all their time on behavioral management rather than instruction. In their current school, my middle daughter has gone from not knowing her times tables to a 3.3 GPA. She is thriving because she finally feels safe and valued, yes! But more so, she finally being appropriately educated. ?The Lack of Alternatives (30 seconds) Some might suggest homeschooling, but as someone with physical disabilities, I simply cannot meet the physical demands of teaching three children at home. My children’s current school is a loving nurturing environment where they aren’t exposed to the vulgarity, violence, and neglect they faced previously in Newport publuc school. Taking one of these scholarships ships away, for our family, makes the other basically not usable. This bill will unequivocally force my children from their current school. For the first time, my oldest daughter doesn’t wake up with panic attacks… something she did all the time while attending public school. Her mental is so much better… changing school for her didn't just change her life… it saved her life. ?Conclusion (30 seconds) Depriving low-income, disabled families from the ability to use these scholarships simultaneously is depriving our children of an education they deserve! If you must implement this rule, why not apply it to high-income earners who can afford the difference? For a family like mine, HB 1803 is an eviction notice from our school. Please, do not take away my daughters voices… because they're are all begging you to please.. Please vote NO on HB1803. Please remember that a vote for YES on HB1803 is also a vote that is hurting and punishing so many of your states poorest children and families. Thank you. typically newport ranks in the bottom quartile of New Hampshire public high schools. it faces challenges in standardized testing and graduation rates compared to state averages. School is just very recently reported at 82%, based on the most recent 2024–2025 assessment data. ?While this represents a ((significant)) improvement from several years ago, it remains roughly 6–8% lower than the New Hampshire state average100% graduation rate. Mount Royal academy in Sunapee, ?As a private Catholic school with a small, focused student body ?National Recognition: It is ranked #115 of 197 for Best Catholic K-12 Schools in America and is a member of the Cardinal Newman Society’s Catholic Education Honor Roll, a distinction given to less than 5% of Catholic high schools