alexadra carter

I strongly oppose HB 1815-FN. This bill attempts to redefine “adequate education” in a way that weakens the state’s constitutional responsibility and shields education funding decisions from meaningful accountability. For decades, New Hampshire’s courts have been clear: the state has a constitutional obligation to define and fully fund an adequate education. This bill subtly shifts that responsibility by emphasizing “shared responsibility” while declaring that how the state raises and allocates funds is a purely “political policy matter” reserved to legislative judgment. That language is deeply concerning. Constitutional rights are not optional policy choices—they are enforceable obligations. By tying adequacy strictly to school approval standards and allowing the Department to determine costs municipality by municipality, the bill risks embedding inequity into the formula itself. Adequacy cannot depend on where a child lives. A student’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education or the resources available to them. This proposal appears to narrow the state’s accountability while expanding its rhetorical control. It reframes adequacy in administrative terms rather than in terms of meaningful opportunity, sufficient funding, and equitable access. That shift matters. When definitions shrink, funding obligations often shrink with them. Public education is not a discretionary budget item—it is a constitutional promise. If anything, the state should be strengthening its commitment to equitable funding, transparency, and adequacy, not rewriting statutory language in ways that could weaken that duty. New Hampshire students deserve a fully funded, truly equitable education system. HB 1815-FN moves us in the wrong direction and should be rejected.