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Republican lawmaker proposes bill to dissolve cooperative school districts
It’s a timeless dispute. For decades, residents in New Hampshire cooperative school districts have squabbled over the necessity – and financial impact – of their districts. And for decades, state lawmakers have floated ideas on how to make it easier for individual towns to pull out. This year, one House lawmaker is opting for a […]
Lawmakers take on the next remote access political debate: local government
The political fight over whether to allow remote participation in New Hampshire State House business has migrated to cities and towns. Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to allow public bodies to hold meetings remotely and still be in compliance with the state’s open records law. Under House Bill 1014, New Hampshire’s “right-to-know law,” RSA 91-A, […]
Section 8 recipients face barriers to housing
By the time Susan Bell accepted her parents’ offer to live with them, she had already experienced one of the hardest months of her life. Back in October, the 55-year-old had endured two stays in the local hospital, first for double pneumonia and later for an ear infection. She had said goodbye to her 16-year-old […]
State sees large take-up in free meals after USDA makes school lunches universal
New Hampshire’s school nutrition program is proving particularly popular this year, according to the Department of Education. A COVID-era federal change opening up eligibility for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to all students – regardless of income level – has prompted an uptick in use of the free lunch program, […]
Lawmakers weigh expanding age window for special education services
This story was updated Monday, March 7 at 10:25 a.m. to correct the first name of the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bill Boyd. New Hampshire lawmakers are considering expanding the eligibility window for New Hampshire’s special education law by one year, giving older students additional time to access services. But some school representatives are raising concerns […]
At State House, teachers push back against efforts to regulate instruction
One bill would test public school teachers’ loyalty to the United States. Another would give parents the power to opt their children out of lessons they find objectionable. A pair of bills aimed at public school classrooms have driven a fresh round of debate in the State House over the balance between teacher discretion and […]
Sponsor of same-day registration overhaul bill submits amendment to pare back reach
The lead backer of a sweeping bill to overhaul New Hampshire’s same-day registration process made a late change Thursday, paring back its scope. Senate Bill 418 would require the secretary of state and town election officials to invalidate the ballot of any voter who did not have the proper documentation to register to vote on […]
Remote learning debate continues at state level as schools weigh closures
To Megan Tuttle, president of New Hampshire’s largest teachers union, the question of whether a school should return to remote learning is not a matter of preference but necessity. “Almost no educator in the state would be eager to revert to the remote instructional model,” said Tuttle, who heads the National Education Association of New […]
Democratic lawmakers push to include consent awareness in school health education
The problem is rarely addressed by teachers. But sexual assault among students is endemic, says Rep. Debra Altschiller. “We think that schools are the best place to reach the most children to talk about personal body safety,” said Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat. “And that is their right. They have the right to be safe.” This […]
Sununu petitions Treasury to allow rental relief funds to go toward affordable housing
Gov. Chris Sununu is continuing to push for flexibility in how New Hampshire uses federal rental relief funds, arguing that the U.S. Department of the Treasury should allow the state to apply the funds to affordable housing. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week, Sununu requested that the federal agency grant a […]
Republican senators propose bill to void ballots of voters who don’t prove domicile
Since 2020, the effort to tighten voting procedures has swept statehouses nationwide. Now, New Hampshire Senate Republicans are seeking a new target to overhaul: same-day voter registration. A bill unveiled last week would require voters who register to vote on Election Day without sufficient documents to mail copies of those documents to the Secretary of […]
GOP proposes in-state college tuition for out-of-staters who register to vote
Four years after the Legislature made voting an act of declaring New Hampshire residency for the state’s college students, some lawmakers are seeking to extend a new perk: in-state tuition. A bill advanced by a group of House Republicans would bar public colleges and universities from charging out-of-state tuition for any students voting in the […]