A hearing on GOP plans to make Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) available to every child, regardless of their family’s income, brought a big crowd to the state house Thursday — and vocal opposition from Democrats.
EFAs allow families to take the state’s portion of their child’s public school funding, typically around $5,000, and use it for alternatives, including private school or homeschooling. Public schools that lose students still retain the local per-pupil revenue—usually two to three times the state dollars—but no longer have the expenses of educating the EFA students.
“The wildly successful Education Freedom Account program has greatly increased the quality of education in the Granite State,” said state Rep. Valerie McDonnell (R-Salem), a lead sponsor of the bill. “In an era where education spending is growing at an unsustainable level, the EFA program has saved taxpayers over $266 million in its opening years.”
McDonnell, 20, is a graduate of Salem High School and was the youngest state representative in New Hampshire history when, as a senior in high school, she was first elected in 2022.
EFA opponents have labeled the scholarships “vouchers,” and argue the state dollars funding them are diverted from public schools, which “downshifts” the tax burden to local property owners.
State funding for public schools hit an all-time high last year, according to a new report from the New Hampshire Department of Education. And while New Hampshire spent around $4 billion in total K-12 education last year for 163,000 students, the EFA program involves just over 5,000 kids and costs just $24 million. That’s about 0.6 percent of total education spending.
So many EFA supporters showed up Thursday, they filled the hearing room and two additional overflow rooms as well. Democrats dismissed the show of support, arguing public school students and teachers couldn’t come to a weekday morning hearing.
An overflow crowd of supporters listens to testimony on behalf of universal EFAs during a hearing of the NH House Education Finance Committee.
“We’ve heard some compelling stories here today from people whose children, and some children themselves, have availed themselves of the EFA program, but there are other stories that we’re not hearing,” said Louise Spencer, a member of the leftwing Kent Street Coalition. “We’re not hearing from public school students, public school teachers, and there’s a reason for that – they’re in school, and they’re not able to be here.”
Parent after parent, many with children who have educational challenges, appeared before the House Education Financing Committee.
Alyssa Sosa Malina, a mother of three special needs children, said she recalled doctors reassuring her that public schools would meet their needs.
Sosa Malina told the committee the opposite happened.
“Four times I’ve sat across the table from public school educators and have been told they do not want to follow the educational and even the physical safety plan for my children,” she said. “My intention was always for public school, but it did not work for us.
“We have found a solution in going private. The EFA program allows us to make a positive choice.”
For the current school year, families earning up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level ($109,200 for a family of four) are eligible to participate in the program. EFAs currently provide families with an average of $4,600 per child that can be spent on the education of their choice. Participants are required to sign an agreement to share academic accountability documents.
“No one income-tests for public schools,” Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare) pointed out during his testimony.
Democrats argue that because parents are in charge of the education decisions, in particular home schoolers, there is a lack of accountability over how these public dollars are spent.
“If public schools who take public money are held to a high standard, shouldn’t any family that takes public money in the form of vouchers be held to the same standard?” asked Rep. Stephanie Grund (D-Amherst).
State Rep. David Luneau (D-Hopkinton), who serves on the Education Finance Committee, asked Berry and other Republicans whether they’d support the EFA program being subjected to accountability audits.
Berry appeared happy to field the question. “Yes, let’s talk about accountability real quickly,” he said, before being cut off by Luneau, who appeared to be seeking a yes-or-no response.
“I’m allowed to answer as I see fit,” Berry said. “In Manchester you have proficiencies in the teens — in the teens — who is accountable for that?
“So you can push forward the amendment all you want, but if you’re going to make an accountability argument, my counterpoint would be to start with the failing public school systems first, which cost five times as much as this program does.”
Democrats also tied EFA funding to current concerns about the state budget, and talk of coming cuts to state spending. Several cited a report from Reaching Higher NH, an anti-school-choice organization, which claims universal EFAs would cost $100 million a year.
“Voting against HB 115 is one of the most fiscally responsible actions you can take for the New Hampshire taxpayer,” said Rep. Wendy Thomas (D-Merrimack).
Newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte made support for school choice part of her campaign last year. Asked on Wednesday if she supported the legislation, the Republican said she supported the goal but appeared to leave open the question of the timeline.
“We’ll be looking at how we approach that and over what time period, but I want to expand these accounts and opportunities for people in New Hampshire,” Ayotte said. “We’re also going to make sure that we’re supporting public education, and teachers, in particular, because teachers are the heart of a strong public education, and making sure that we’re listening to them.”
One person who testified Thursday was Rep. Glenn Cordelli (R-Tuftonboro), chair of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee. He said he hadn’t planned to, until he saw a video of comments made by state Rep. Alissandra Murray (D-Manchester) criticizing parental rights.
“It’s always been part of their (GOP) agenda to continue to remove the state’s safeguards on children and continue to give parents more and more control,” Murray complained.
“Fact check: True,” quipped House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) in response.
Cordelli questioned one of the main talking points echoed by EFA opponents – that the program lacks oversight and accountability.
“This program has the best form of accountability — it’s parents,” he said. “If a parent is not satisfied with their child’s education, they can switch to another education option that fits their parents’ needs. That is not always the case with parents attending a public school.”
