Hannah Meiselman

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I respectfully oppose HB 1125. This bill would allow school districts to adopt partisan elections for school board seats. Introducing party labels into school governance risks shifting attention away from students, budgets, and educational outcomes and toward national political dynamics that do not belong in local decision-making. New Hampshire’s current non-partisan system helps ensure that school board members are chosen for their qualifications, community engagement, and commitment to public education—not their party affiliation. Partisan elections would increase polarization, discourage independent or unaffiliated candidates, and make it harder for communities to collaborate across differences. There is no demonstrated problem that this bill solves, and it carries significant potential to undermine trust in school governance.