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‘Parental bill of rights’ legislation draws opposition from teachers unions, child advocate
The New Hampshire Senate is considering a “parental bill of rights” that would provide a parent “the right to direct the education and care of his or her minor child” and provide access to school records. But teachers unions, social worker advocates, and the state’s Office of the Child Advocate have objected to the bill, […]
Private Christian academies see boost from ‘education freedom account’ funds
Shortly after Gov. Chris Sununu signed New Hampshire’s “education freedom account” program into law, the staff at Laconia Christian Academy sprung to action. Beginning in late June last year, the small private school began informing the families who already attended their school and qualified for the new grant program. The program, which allows parents in […]
Department of Education proposes study on ‘school-induced distress’
The New Hampshire Department of Education is proposing to commission a study into “school-induced distress” among children and use it to come up with recommendations for how the state’s education system could be improved. In a request set to appear before the Executive Council this week, the department is proposing a partnership with RMC Research […]
Liquor Commission cannabis legalization bill met with skepticism
If New Hampshire was ever to legalize retail sales of cannabis, Paul Morrissette would be well-positioned to participate. The New Hampshire resident is a part owner of East Coast Cannabis, a dispensary just over the border in Eliot, Maine, where retail cannabis is legal. The store sees plenty of over-the-border business from New Hampshire; legalization […]
House votes down attempts to add conservative priorities to bipartisan bill
House lawmakers voted down a series of attempts to attach conservative priorities to a bipartisan bill to create a state coordinator for education freedom accounts Thursday, with some members expressing frustration at the unusual tactic. In a string of votes near the end of the day, bipartisan majorities of lawmakers quashed attempts to affix amendments […]
House Republicans plan to add controversial items to bipartisan education bill
Republican members of the House are planning to tack a number of hot-button bills onto a bipartisan bill relating to education freedom accounts Thursday, as the State House comes up against a key legislative deadline. In a series of amendments to House Bill 1627 proposed for Thursday’s session and published on the state’s General Court […]
Defending ‘divisive concepts’ statute, state argues law is not vague
New Hampshire’s new “freedom from discrimination” law barring certain teachings around race and class in public schools is legally sound and not overly vague, the Department of Justice argued in a federal court filing Friday. In a rebuttal to a pair of lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court of New Hampshire in Concord against Commissioner […]
Affordable housing advocates excited about Sununu housing plan – but wary
Addressing lawmakers at his State of the State address in February, Gov. Chris Sununu pointed to one of the most pressing issues in the state: workforce housing. Then he presented a plan. New Hampshire should take advantage of one-time pandemic relief funds and set aside $100 million to encourage housing development, Sununu said. His proposal […]
Most education freedom account recipients not leaving public schools, department says
New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account program continues to see a higher than expected take-up rate since it launched in September. But the proportion of students using it to leave their public schools continues to be relatively low. As of March 1, just 204 of the 1,800 students that were enrolled in the program this school […]
Sununu appeals to CDC to extend school testing funding
Gov. Chris Sununu appealed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday to extend funding for a program that helps test public school students. In a letter to CDC director Rochelle Walensky, Sununu said the program, the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Reopening Schools program, has helped New Hampshire schools “keep their doors open” by […]
Executive Council approves federal aid for school lunch shortages
New Hampshire schools are set to receive $2.8 million in federal assistance to address supply chain issues affecting school lunches, after the Executive Council voted to approve the money Wednesday. The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is meant to help schools weather disruptions to food supplies that have persisted throughout 2021 and […]
GOP lawmakers reject attempts to change education freedom accounts, ‘divisive concepts’ law
The message was clear: New Hampshire’s education freedom account program is here to stay. In a series of votes on the House floor last week, the Republican majority rebuffed efforts to restrain the latest education funding program, which allows parents to use the state’s public school funding allocation for their child and put it toward […]