LATEST NEWS

February 17, 2008

CHARTER SCHOOL LEGISLATION ALERT: NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire legislators are giving charter school funding their attention—five bills are still active on House and Senate dockets. The issues: who pays for basic operational funding, facility funding, transportation funding, and career technical education funding? How do public students in chartered public schools have access to public funding for education—state, local, and federal? Here’s an update

• Facility Funding
• Transportation Funding
• Career & Technical Education Funding
• Basic Operational Funding
• Naming Charter Schools
• Recent State Board of Education Position
• The Prognosis
• Contact Us for More Information

FACILITY FUNDING
Charter schools have no allowance for facility costs. Legislators and the Department of Education have advanced suggestions that could allow for charter school facility rental. In the state budget, programs without public space are budgeted for facility costs. A facility stipend for chartered public schools makes New Hampshire eligible for federal facility funding that would be of great benefit (e.g. mortgage and loan guarantees). Two bills addressing facility funding are still in committee.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
A transportation stipend of $400 per student was proposed through Senate Bill 340. New Hampshire charter schools do not have a to-and-from school transportation requirement but some schools use multiple locations and all schools need some student transport. There is no funding for transportation. SB340 was voted Inexpedient to Legislate after the bill’s hearing on 1/22/08.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FUNDING
Senate Bill 339, clarifying charter school eligibility for career and technical funding, is not yet decided. Funding for career and technical education is allowed for chartered public schools under federal guidelines and is very important for authorized chartered high schools offering career and technical programs. Sponsors are Senator Fuller Clark and Representative Casey. This bill also clarifies that chartered public schools can provide special education and alternative services, and be allowed funding for these services.

BASIC OPERATIONAL FUNDING
The major issue for charter schools is sustainable basic funding--particularly for the state-authorized schools with students from many districts and not connected to one specific school district or SAU. Mostly, students in these charter schools have been left with no funding except basic state aid ($3706). This is equivalent to 30% of what the average Granite State student has for public funding with both state and local support. If the basics are teachers, space, and heat--$3706 is just too low an amount.

House Bill 1639 proposed $7,000 per student, completely paid from state aid (essentially weighted state aid). Hundreds of district students in New Hampshire currently benefit from targeted or weighted state aid equal to $6,000 to $6,700 per student.* HB1639’s approach is not unreasonable and is in line with current public school funding policy. The bill was voted “interim study” (summer work). The underlying goals are being transferred to other active legislation. Bill sponsor Representative Kim Casey of E. Kingston is actively collaborating with other bill sponsors.

House Bill 1642 is the bill to watch. There will be an executive session this Tuesday, February 19th, 2008, 10:00 a.m., Room 207 of the Legislative Office Building. HB 1642 proposed that all charter school students be funded locally and similarly, whether the school was authorized by the state or the district (“these are all public school students no matter how the school is authorized”). Proposed was having the local districts own their local students and pay something from locally-raised education funding. The amount suggested was 80% of the district’s average student cost modified by first subtracting the $3800 in state aid. Testimony was spirited and included a federal consultant calmly describing how other states like New Hampshire have resolved charter school funding including a local contribution. Click here to read about the recent HB 1642 hearing.

Currently, local funding for local students in charter schools is optional. Some communities share a small portion of locally-raised funding and some do not.

NAMING CHARTER SCHOOLS Senate Bill 418
During hearings, wisps of confusion are still heard as to whether or not New Hampshire charter schools are public schools. SB 418, sponsored by Senator Fuller Clark, proposed calling charter schools “innovative public schools.” The bill passed and was adopted with an amendment to rename charter schools “chartered public schools” and to make this correction throughout all the state's legislation. Upon authorization, an independent public school is created by the legislature.

RECENT STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION POSITION
Last but clearly not least, the New Hampshire State Board of Education at its meeting of February 13th, 2008, finally weighed in on chartered public school funding. The Board voted to support permanent and sustainable funding for public students choosing a chartered public school.

THE PROGNOSIS
Legislators are meeting now to identify the best solution for permanent and sustainable funding policy for chartered public schools and the public students who attend. The public, here and around the country, want these independent public schools as part of the system. Charter schools are increasing by 300-400 per year with waiting lists large enough to support several hundred more schools. Elected legislators are listening and responding—even in New Hampshire. We are optimistic.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
New Hampshire charter schools now serve students from over 100 towns around the state. Initial decisions on pending legislation will be voted by members of the House Education and Senate Education committees soon. Interested citizens—contact the people who represent you. Contact the NH Center for School Reform for more information: info@nhschoolreform.org

*Our computation from available reports.