Sarah shaghasi

I am writing in opposition to HB 1334. I am a New Hampshire parent whose family uses an Education Freedom Account to support my children’s education. One of the greatest strengths of the EFA program is its flexibility, which allows families to meet real, individual learning needs that do not always fit neatly into a static list of approved expenses. My daughter uses the majority of her EFA funds for vision therapy at Visual Victory Training in Portsmouth. This therapy directly supports her ability to learn and access her education and represents an appropriate educational use of EFA funds for our family. I may not always be able to categorize expenses by statute, but the ability for the scholarship organization to review and approve legitimate educational expenses has been essential for my family. In addition to therapy, we have used EFA funds for various curricula and physical education options. The program has allowed me to thoughtfully expand and tailor my children’s educational opportunities beyond what any single approach or resource could provide on its own. HB 1334 removes the authority of the scholarship organization to approve educational expenses outside a fixed list, eliminating this crucial flexibility. If passed, legitimate and necessary educational expenses could be automatically denied—even when they clearly support student learning—without adding any new appeal or approval process. Education is not one-size-fits-all. Category O exists to ensure the EFA program can adapt to real students, evolving tools, and diverse needs. Removing it would make the program less responsive and less effective for families like mine. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the committee to recommend HB 1334 as Inexpedient to Legislate. Thank you for your time and consideration.