HB1817

Cross-district access is already possible in NH. This Bill strips towns of the ability to limit incoming/outgoing students, and potentially opens them up to invite greater expenses related to the implementation of IEPs. What would happen if a town was at capacity because of transferring *in* students, and a new family moved to town with students? Would the new family be forced to district *out*, the school be forced to exceed capacity, or the transferred *in* student be sent back to their resident district - where they may face the same domino effect? Let towns decide their capacity for incoming/outgoing students, and hopefully gain some control over already excessive school budgets.

When a student accepts an EFA, the school district loses state aid for that student. It doesn't make sense to then allow that student to come back to the public school at no cost.

If students opt out of public schools and take state money with them they should not then be able to take classes or participate in extracurricular activities for free.

This bill would require public schools to allow voucher students to take classes and participate in extra-curricular activities, with no requirement that they pay for these opportunities. One of the basic premises of the voucher program (and part of the sales pitch) was that by taking a state-funded voucher, the student has opted out of public school and its benefits. In recent years they have sometimes participated in public school classes and activities, but only under terms agreed to by the school, which often include paying their local school/district for the privilege.

With this bill students taking state-funded vouchers will drain more funds from our public schools. It would allow voucher students to take classes and participate in extra-curricular activities, without any requirement that the voucher students pay for these opportunities. I urge you to oppose HB 1817.

This bill would result in smaller rural schools losing attendance and funding, making education less accessible for students who don’t have resources like transportation to a local school.

This will be disastrous for our school budgets and make it impossible to accurately project costs.

Please vote against this bill.

EFA students already receive their state portion of funding, they should not be allowed to double dip taxpayer funds by also allowing them Equal Access at no cost. EFA students pay a fee, set by the local school district for Equal Access and district schools sign up as vendors so EFA students can even use EFA funding to pay. It's how this issue was designed to work. As a taxpayer I oppose this bill.

Strong local schools make strong communities.

Vouchers are not a viable solution. Please appropriately fund public education. I oppose this bill.

This is not the way to improve education outcomes. We need to be serious about getting school districts the right level of funding. Vouchers are the wrong idea.

Oppose

I believe each town should decide how to handle. It should not be mandated

I urge you to oppose this bill. This bill would require public schools to allow voucher students to take classes and participate in extra-curricular activities, with no requirement that they pay for these opportunities. One of the basic premises of the voucher program is that by taking a state-funded voucher, the student has opted out of public school and its benefits. Public schools do not receive adequacy for students not enrolled in their schools. The money instead goes to the school or the parents in which they are enrolled in the form of the voucher. Meaning public schools do not receive any funding for students receiving vouchers. In recent years they have sometimes participated in public school classes and activities, but only under terms agreed to by the school, which often include paying for the privilege.

Absolutely NOT!!! Voucher students are already stealing enough money from our public schools. They have relinquished their right to attend their district public school for free. If negotiated with the school district and an appropriate fee is paid, then perhaps....

I oppose this bill..

I oppose this bill..

EFA recipients have already been given state money to spend how they wish...including spending on classes at their school district. Not paying for classes is double dipping. Having the taxpayers pay twice is unacceptable.

This is an awful bill that would allow voucher students, who have withdrawn public funds for their private education, to turn around and for free use public schools for classes and activities using resources for free! That just isn't equitable.

Voucher students should not be allowed to attend classes and participate in extra-curricular activities at their local public school, with no requirement to pay for these opportunities. These students should not be entitled to take further resources from our public schools if they accept payment vouchers.