Janelle Hieronymus

As a mother, there are few things I guard more fiercely than my children’s privacy. Like most parents, I assume that when I provide sensitive information to a state education program, it will be handled carefully, transparently, and with the sole purpose of serving the children. And, as a participant in New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account program for the past four years, that is exactly what I have experienced. However, HB1401threatens all of that by expanding the definition of “scholarship organization” and allowing for-profit corporations to manage the EFA program. As a mom, I have to ask — what does that mean for my family? It means that a for-profit corporation whose primary duty is to maximize profits would gain access to EFA student’s academic and special education records, family income documentation and our private financial data. I am especially troubled by the incentive structure. In a nonprofit model, as the program is currently operating, the mission is aligned with serving families. I can testify that that is absolutely true, the current program is built and maintained by people invested in assuring the best educational opportunities for New Hampshire’s students. But in a for-profit model, student data becomes part of the enterprise. More scale, more data, more leverage, those are business assets. My children’s personal information should not be a business asset. We have seen in other states that vendor-driven ESA programs have encountered serious issues including instances where a for-profit administrator earned interest on funds meant for children. This is not about being anti-business. For-profit companies already participate in the program as education service providers. There is a meaningful difference between providing a service and controlling the administration of the program while, setting policy, and holding access to every family’s data. As a mother, I believe that line matters. I want stability for my children. I want accountability. I want transparency. And I want to know that the entity holding my family’s most sensitive information is legally bound to serve students, not shareholders. The current program works, there is no reason to risk changing it. For those reasons, I urge lawmakers to reject HB1401. Our children are not revenue streams. Their education and their privacy should never be treated that way.