Meg Ebba

HB1401 would set New Hampshire back decades in terms of innovation and forward motion for education. This bill seeks to remove the administration of the Educational Freedom Account program from a charity non-profit and give it to an enormous corporation who only sees New Hampshire as a revenue stream. My two youngest children are currently utilizing the EFA for a hybrid education including at home, in-person, and online classes including dual enrollment. My oldest graduated last year, became an EMT, and is headed to UNH in the fall for biomedical sciences. The EFA has been instrumental in my children's academic success and we are grateful that NH recognizes school choice without sacrificing quality. This is very "on brand" for our state, I feel. Your committee cares about the education of the children in this state, and so does the Children's Scholarship Fund. The proposed "big business" does not, and will never care personally about our children. The school choice program in New Hampshire is NOT like school choice programs in other states, and the biggest reason is that our program is run by a charity non-profit and not a big, for-profit business. The benefits are very important for New Hampshire residents. For example, the charity non-profit is required to protect student's personal data and provide complete transparency on every level, up to and including the salaries of every employee at the non-profit. Additionally, this information is available on the website and does not require a special request. Every purchase or reimbursement request is scrutinized by the team so that no unapproved items or services are ever allowed. When I need help with a purchase or a reimbursement and I call the Children's Scholarship Fund, I talk with a real person who lives in New Hampshire and cares about children. I cannot imagine having to speak with a chatbot or fight for weeks or months to get my children the help they need. In addition, I fear for the safety of my children's personal information. This company has had documented problems with parents in Utah logging on to the system and seeing information from students in Louisiana. We don't need this kind of data breach in NH, financially or ideologically. It is crucial to keep big business OUT of our children's academic lives. There is no reason to replace a charity non-profit that has been approved multiple years in a row by the NHDOE for its transparency, accuracy, legitimacy, and passion for helping the children in New Hampshire. Please vote against HB 1401.