Education
19 reports of misconduct logged in new reporting system at St. Paul’s School
Students and staff at St. Paul’s School have made 19 reports of sexual assault and other misconduct since January 2021, according to a report released by the school’s independent compliance overseer last week, with nine reports listed as “active.” In his latest semi-annual report, the overseer, Donald E. Sullivan, noted that the Concord private school […]
‘Education freedom accounts’ program partners with national firm to administer money
New Hampshire’s new program allowing eligible families to pay for private school expenses using public funds continues to see unexpectedly high take-up. Now, as the state gears up to distribute the money, the organization running the “education freedom accounts,” the Children’s Scholarship Fund, is officially partnering with a national company to oversee how it’s spent. The […]
Proposed apprenticeship program would launch in four school districts for starters
New Hampshire’s Department of Education is pushing for a new approach to improve the pipeline from high school to industries, starting with four “pilot” school districts. In a request before the Executive Council this month, the department is seeking approval for a federally funded program that would allow students in Conway, Hinsdale, Laconia, and Manchester […]
With interest in ‘education freedom accounts’ high, voucher critics point to the cost
Anthony Henry isn’t sure where he wants to go to high school in a year. But he knows he doesn’t want it to be a public school. The Derry native, who is entering eighth grade this year, says he’s been disheartened by content taught in his middle school – from videos diving into the background […]
Census data shows that children make up the most diverse part of the state’s population
This story was updated at 10:20 a.m. on Sept. 1 to clarify that City Year brings coaches to work in schools, not teachers. When Eva Castillo came to the United States from her home country of Venezuela, she wasn’t planning to stay. But life happened. She met her husband, a Manchester native, and over the […]
Mask requirement question puts school districts in the middle of a great divide
Deep into a late-night school board meeting on the future of mask mandates in the Merrimack Valley School District, Chairwoman Seelye Longnecker paused to take stock of public opinion. A torrent of parents had emailed ahead of the emergency meeting with views on their preferred policy. The question was simple: Should masks be required? But […]
Lawmakers allow ‘education freedom account’ rules to move ahead despite lawyers’ concerns
New Hampshire’s “education freedom account” program is on track to roll out across the state this month, after a critical vote Thursday by the state’s Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR). But the vote – which approved a set of interim rules designed to allow the program to become operational by the start of […]
Federal money awarded to create new charter schools in the state, expand existing ones
After years of controversy and delay, New Hampshire’s Department of Education has awarded the first tranche of a $46 million effort to double the number of charter schools in the state. On Aug. 11, the department announced the first seven recipients of the federal funding, which was approved by the Trump administration and is meant […]
Council to consider contract to address learning loss among students in nonpublic schools
New Hampshire students in nonpublic schools could soon benefit from federally funded “learning loss” programs to address any setbacks caused by remote instruction. Under a contract appearing before the Executive Council Wednesday, the New Hampshire Department of Education would set aside $1.58 million for in-school instruction and summer-school learning loss programs to help students at […]
In reversal, state’s NEA chapter supports COVID vaccine requirement for teachers
The New Hampshire chapter of the National Education Association is supporting a vaccine requirement for teachers, reversing an earlier position as cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 continue to climb. In a statement Friday, NEA New Hampshire said that its board members agree with the national NEA’s decision Thursday to announce support for a […]
Here’s what you need to know about schools reopening amid another COVID surge
New Hampshire is weeks away from the start of the 2021-2022 school year, and school boards across the state are wrestling with a crucial operational question: Are mask mandates necessary? On Wednesday, state epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan gave a clear answer: Probably yes. During a briefing to schools and child care providers Wednesday, Chan said […]
Children’s Scholarship Fund gets one-year contract to administer ‘education freedom accounts’
This story was updated on Aug. 9 at 11:15 a.m. to correct the income level for a family of four at 300 percent of the 2021 federal poverty level. New Hampshire will launch its new “education freedom accounts” program with one organization administering the accounts, after the Executive Council approved a single-source contract Wednesday with […]