Author

Ethan DeWitt is the New Hampshire Bulletin’s education reporter. Previously, he worked as the New Hampshire State House reporter for the Concord Monitor, covering the state, the Legislature, and the New Hampshire presidential primary. A Westmoreland native, Ethan started his career as the politics and health care reporter at the Keene Sentinel.
NH House majority leader used racial slur on online forum, resurfaced post shows
By: Ethan DeWitt - September 1, 2022
New Hampshire House Majority Leader Jason Osborne repeatedly used a racial epithet for Black people on a libertarian web forum in 2011, a recently surfaced post reveals. In the post, written on a now-disbanded forum for the libertarian radio show “Free Talk Live” and confirmed by the Bulletin, Osborne, an Auburn Republican, appeared to use […]
How to apply for school lunch assistance in New Hampshire
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 29, 2022
This story was updated on Aug. 30 at 10:46 a.m. to indicate that the universal school meals program is no longer operating, but that eligible families have a 30-day rollover period as classes start to continue receiving meal assistance as they submit an application. School is starting this week for many New Hampshire families, and […]
New Hampshire to upgrade police arrest reporting website
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 26, 2022
New Hampshire residents will soon have an easier way to view arrest data, after the Department of Safety entered into a contract to improve its crime statistics website. Approved by the Executive Council Aug. 17, the contract gives $296,700 to Beyond 20/20, the data company that designed the current website. The money will be spent […]
Career and technical education programs in high demand throughout the state
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 23, 2022
Four decades ago, Wilbur Palmer had a vision for a different type of education in Hudson. The school should offer vocational courses in agriculture, Palmer decided. After dismantling and rebuilding a pair of greenhouses on campus, the school’s career technical institute was born, and Palmer became its first director. Today, the Wilbur H. Palmer Career […]
Executive Council votes to allow live broadcasts
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 19, 2022
New Hampshire residents interested in hearing Executive Council meetings may now do so remotely, after the council voted Wednesday to provide live audio broadcasts “when feasible.” In an amendment to the council’s Manual of Procedures, councilors voted to allow the live audio “by telephone, the internet or other means which allows the public to listen […]
How to vote by absentee ballot in New Hampshire in 2022
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 19, 2022
New Hampshire’s state primaries are Tuesday, Sept. 13 – less than a month away. But for some residents, voting is possible now. The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office distributed its absentee ballots to towns and cities this week. Voters who are eligible may now apply for, receive, and cast their primary ballots. After an […]
State launches training programs for educators, caretakers to teach reading
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 17, 2022
New Hampshire’s Executive Council approved a $5 million federally funded program to train teachers and caregivers how to teach reading to kids, part of an effort by the state to boost literacy. In a vote Wednesday, the council approved a contract between the Department of Education and Lexia Learning Systems, a Concord, Mass., company that […]
State seeks to use federal funding for SAT, ACT tutoring
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 16, 2022
The New Hampshire Department of Education is hoping to use federal pandemic aid to pay for online tutoring for standardized admission tests – potentially until 2027. In a request to the Executive Council ahead of its meeting Wednesday, the department is requesting to set aside $4.8 million in federal school pandemic aid to contract with […]
Towns, cities prepare for Aug. 23 zoning law changes aimed at boosting housing market
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 16, 2022
As New Hampshire’s school boards prepare for the school year, local planning boards are facing a different action deadline: Aug. 23. That’s the day towns and cities must start adhering to a package of new zoning and planning laws passed by the Legislature this year. There are new deadlines. There are requirements for better explanations […]
State launches training workshops for paraprofessionals amid shortages
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 12, 2022
New Hampshire’s Department of Education is attempting to tackle a statewide shortage of paraprofessionals with a new training program, the department announced this week. In partnership with 321 Insight, a company that develops training courses, the state will be hosting a series of free, three-hour workshops next week to train new paraprofessionals and retrain existing […]
State ranked second for overall child well-being, but depression and anxiety on the rise
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 10, 2022
New Hampshire is the second best state for overall child well-being in the country, a four-year national survey released this week has found. The survey, known as the 2022 Kids Count Databook and conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, offers other positive indicators for the state: Kids in New Hampshire are ranked fourth highest […]
State encourages high school students to try work-based learning via new program
By: Ethan DeWitt - August 8, 2022
New Hampshire’s Department of Education is encouraging high school students to take part-time jobs with New Hampshire companies and earn academic credit as part of a program launched in February. In a press conference Monday, officials with the department and leaders with the state’s Business and Industry Association touted the new program as a way […]