New Hampshire voters decided Question 2 on Tuesday, a proposed tax cap that would limit local property tax growth for school districts, adjusted for inflation and new construction, and cap central office spending at 6% of appropriations for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 budget years. To pass, the question needed at least 60% yes votes, counted across each school district. In the Valley News' 22-town coverage area, five towns will see the cap in their districts and 17 will not. Republicans generally backed the cap, citing affordability, while Democrats argued for investing in schools. Towns that adopt the cap must vote on it again when the two-year period ends.
This edition covers several stories for New Hampshire families. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the state's new voter ID rule before the midterms, so college student IDs no longer count for registering or voting, and students must show a government-issued photo ID. Lawmakers' audit of the Education Freedom Account program is stalled because the Children's Scholarship Fund NH has not given auditors access to student data. In Bow, parents are asking a court to quickly restore their right to silently protest, by wearing wristbands at girls' sports, before winter sports begin December 9. The state Department of Education will present 2026 assessment results to the State Board of Education on November 12.
The Children's Scholarship Fund NH, which administers the Education Freedom Account program, has not yet agreed to share the student residency and academic records needed for an expanded performance audit, a legislative committee heard Friday. The Department of Education has agreed to a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation needed, but the fund has raised some concerns. A meeting of all parties is scheduled before Thanksgiving. Work on the audit of the department's oversight continues, with results hoped for next spring. Several Democratic committee members expressed frustration with the delay, saying the program uses taxpayer dollars. The program now enrolls 13,151 students at an estimated cost of more than $55 million this year.
Five former members of New Hampshire's Education Funding Commission have filed a brief with the state Supreme Court in the Rand education funding case. They urge the court to reject the state's request to overturn the Claremont education funding decisions, which the state argues misread the constitution. The brief, written by attorney William Ardinger, says the constitution requires the state to guarantee adequate resources for every child. It does not require uniform per-pupil aid or full state payment of costs, and it lets the Legislature send more aid to districts with the greatest needs. Commission chair Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, said the current system is unfair to students and property taxpayers. Bills based on the commission's work have been introduced but have not passed since Republicans took control in 2021.
Ocean State Media (New England News Collaborative) · Thu, Oct 15, 2026
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited public and private schools in Manchester on Thursday, October 15, 2026, as part of a nationwide school tour, and expressed support for New Hampshire's school choice programs, including its voucher program. She said that more choice gives parents more opportunity to secure the best education for their children. Families from Trinity High School and St. Joseph Junior High said vouchers helped them pay for tuition and supplies. Other Manchester families, including Southside Middle School parent Christina Goodwin, argued that vouchers take funding away from public schools. With a ballot question on the school budget tax cap a few weeks away, public school funding is a major concern for many voters.
Under House Bill 1817, education freedom account recipients can take classes, join sports teams and clubs, and take part in other programs at their resident public school district without paying extra. A September 25 state Department of Education advisory tells districts to review their enrollment, participation and fee policies. Students enrolled in 50% or more of a school's instructional time count as full-time public students. Unlike homeschooled students, EFA students won't generate the state's per-credit reimbursement for their districts. Opponents, including the New Hampshire School Boards Association, say the change shortchanges districts and taxpayers. Supporters say it addresses families who pay property taxes but can't use district programs for free.
Families considering a midyear move from public school to private school or homeschooling may still be able to get help. New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account program, administered by Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, can pay for private-school tuition, tutoring and curriculum. The 2025 Legislature removed the income limit, but priority groups receive preference, and students in those groups have no waitlist. The waitlist currently has more than 500 students. This year's average award was about $4,800, paid in installments. Families apply through ScholaVia, with one application per household, and customer service is available for help. Applications for 2027-28 are expected to open in March 2027.
New Hampshire has passed two laws aimed at giving families more say over their children's education. House Bill 1268, the Home Education Freedom Act, removes mandatory homeschool notification requirements, and Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it into law in mid-July. SB 295 lets students using Education Freedom Accounts access public school courses and activities. The Home School Legal Defense Association welcomed the changes, contrasting them with Connecticut, which increased regulatory burdens on homeschool families this year. Americans for Prosperity's Sarah Scott, a homeschool graduate, said the laws put parents in charge of their children's education, with the state in a supporting role. For families across the state, the changes mean more freedom in choosing how their children learn.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has asked the state Supreme Court to overturn the Claremont I and II school funding rulings, which established the state's constitutional duty to provide an adequate education. The request is part of an appeal of a August 2025 ruling in Rand v. State of New Hampshire, which found state underfunding created unconstitutional tax disparities between towns. The state argues the constitution imposes no duty to adequately fund schools and, if the Claremont rulings stand, that the duty is shared with towns. Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 1815 in March, making adequate education a "shared responsibility" in state law. Plaintiffs' attorney Natalie LaFlamme says the duty rests with the state.
New Hampshire's Education Freedom Account program, a state-funded voucher-like program, has grown 25% for the upcoming school year, to 12,500 students, according to the Children's Scholarship Fund, which runs it. Another 943 students are on the waitlist. The increase was expected under the program's rules, which allow the enrollment cap to rise 25% each year. With the growth, the state could spend more than $60 million on payments to families, which will average $4,800 and can go toward private school or homeschooling costs. Families can also attend public school classes for free under a law Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed in June. Families on the waitlist should watch for updates from the Children's Scholarship Fund.
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