Charles Harcourt

I am writing in strong support of HB 1799. The recent ConVal and Rand decisions reaffirm what families, educators, and municipalities across New Hampshire have long known: our current system of funding public education is unconstitutional, inequitable, and overly dependent on local property taxes. HB 1799 represents a meaningful and necessary step toward correcting that imbalance. We are feeling the brunt of the State's failure to provide fair funding in Jaffrey! For decades, the state has shifted its responsibility onto local communities, forcing towns with fewer resources to shoulder disproportionate tax burdens while struggling to provide an adequate education. This system deepens achievement gaps, strains municipal budgets, and places an unfair load on homeowners and renters alike. Adequate education should not depend on a student’s ZIP code or a town’s property wealth. HB 1799 directly addresses these issues by: Increasing state adequacy funding, Ensuring SWEPT revenue is deposited into the Education Trust Fund as intended, Acknowledging and responding to persistent achievement gaps, And beginning the essential conversation about long-term revenue solutions beyond property taxes. Importantly, this bill aligns with the state’s constitutional obligation to fund an adequate education. It does not solve every problem overnight, but it moves New Hampshire decisively in the right direction — toward a fairer, more sustainable system that benefits students, taxpayers, and communities. If we continue to rely primarily on local property taxes, we guarantee continued inequity and instability. HB 1799 offers a real alternative and deserves the Legislature’s support. I urge the committee to recommend HB 1799 as Ought to Pass and to take this opportunity to demonstrate that New Hampshire is serious about both educational equity and property tax relief.