The story of New Hampshire’s political fight over universal school choice could be read on the faces of state senators Thursday as the chamber passed a final version of the bill and sent it on to the governor’s desk.
For years, Republicans argued that Education Freedom Accounts would let students escape public schools that didn’t work for them, and create competition to improve the quality of education across the state. Democrats, who are strongly allied with the teacher’s unions, said universal EFAs were just a giveaway to the rich and took money from underfunded public education.
But the fight that has generated so much heat in New Hampshire politics ended in a whimper on Thursday. Democrats admitted defeat before the vote began. They didn’t even ask for a roll call, letting the bill pass the chamber on a voice vote.
“Democrats just gave a dejected ‘no’ and that was it. No debate,” one observer noted. “Incredible.”
School choice advocates, on the other hand, were elated.
“Today, House Republicans took their final vote to make universal eligibility to the wildly successful Education Freedom Account program a reality,” the House GOP Caucus said in a statement.
National school choice advocate Corey Deangelis took to Twitter to celebrate.
“BREAKING: New Hampshire just passed a UNIVERSAL SCHOOL CHOICE bill,” he posted. “It now goes to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s desk. New Hampshire will be the 17th state to pass universal school choice.”
If Ayotte signs the legislation as expected, it will remove current income caps on families participating in the EFA program. Only families earning 350 percent of the federal poverty level or less (about $112,000 for a family of four) are eligible.
The EFA only allows families to use the state’s share of education spending on their children, usually around a third of the total. The other two-thirds of the spending, typically around $15,000, remains with the local school, increasing their per-pupil revenue.
“Our extremely successful Education Freedom Account program has gone on to serve more than 5,000 New Hampshire families statewide,” said Sen. Victoria Sullivan (R-Manchester). “With the passage of this bill, we are now able to deliver universal school choice for all New Hampshire families.”
Critics say more than 60 percent of families using EFAs already had their kids in private or home school. As a result, they argue, it’s a “giveaway to the wealthy” that takes money from public schools.
“Instead of spending taxpayer dollars to expand private school vouchers to the ultra-wealthy,” the Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement, the money should have been spent “lowering property taxes, investing in affordable housing, reducing healthcare and utility costs, strengthening public schools and universities, supporting small businesses, and enhancing public safety.”
Supporters note that the EFA program will likely account for less than $30 million of the more than $4 billion being spent on K-12 education in New Hampshire this year.
“The EFA program has already changed the lives of thousands of students from Charlestown to Rochester, and we are thrilled to be rolling it out to even more students for this upcoming school year,” said House Finance Division II Chairman Keith Erf (R-Weare)
“We thank our colleagues in the House and Senate for helping us to get this critical mission through both legislative chambers. I look forward to joining Gov. Ayotte as we sign this bill into law and celebrate a summer full of school choice.”
House lawmakers also voted on another education bill backed by Ayotte, one that directs school districts to enact a “bell-to-bell” ban on the use of cell phones and other devices during school hours.
The legislation, SB 206, had enjoyed bipartisan support during the early rounds of public hearings until Democrats rallied in support of an amendment that would carve out exceptions for “specific educational purposes.”
Republicans countered that the amendment doesn’t clarify or define the term “specific educational purposes.”
“It is a temptation,” said Rep. Margaret Drye (R-Plainfield). “If you didn’t have access to your cell phone all day, and suddenly found it available, would you sneak in some other activity if you had the chance? I know I would.”
In the end, the bill advanced without the Democrat-backed exceptions in a bipartisan 314-42 vote.
“A bell-to-bell ban on cell phones in the classroom will help kids focus on learning and let teachers do what they do best without being the phone police,” Ayotte said in a statement following the vote.
