CloseUp: Education funding in NH

SEAN: WELCOME BACK. FOR DECADES NOW, THE ISSUE OF EQUITABLY FUNDING SCHOOLS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS BEEN DEBATED AND LITIGATED. AND TODAY, THOSE DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE. A COMMISSION TO STUDY THE ISSUE HAS JUST WRAPPED UP ITS WORK, RELEASING A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE FINDINGS OF THAT STUDY ARE STATE SENATOR JAY KAHN, AND REPRESENTATIVE DAVID LUNEAU. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. REP. LUNEAU: GOOD MORNING, SEAN. SEAN: REPRESENTATIVE, I WILL START WITH YOU. THERE IS A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS REPORT, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME HEADLINES? REP. LUNEAU: SURE. WE STARTED MEETING BACK IN JANUARY, AND TOOK IT RIGHT THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER, ABOUT 90 MEETINGS, OVER 200 HOURS OF WORK SESSIONS, PUBLIC MEETINGS. BASICALLY, WHAT WE CONCLUDED WAS THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE HAVE A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL COST MODEL AND A FUNDING PLAN THAT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DISPARITIES IN EDUCATIONAL COST, BASED ON COMMUNITY NEED. WE ALSO DON’T PROVIDE DISTRICTS WITH OR MAKE AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY NEED, TO FUND THEIR SCHOOLS ADEQUATELY. IN THE END, WHAT WE CAME DOWN TO IS A SOLUTION THAT REALLY HAS THREE PARTS TO IT. THE FIRST PART, WHICH CALCULATES THE COST FOR EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO EDUCATE STUDENTS TO A COMMON OUTCOME, BASED ON ACTUAL COST AND THE DISPARITIES IN STUDENT NEED AND COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND WE ALSO LOOK TO PROVIDE EACH DISTRICT WITH ACCESS TO THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES NECESSARY TO PAY THE COSTS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND ALSO, A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE IS TO PROVIDE A CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND ROLL OUT A ROBUST PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND DEFERRAL PROGRAM. SEAN: SENATOR KAHN, I WANT TO STAY ON THIS. WHY ARE CERTAIN COMMUNITIES FALLING BEHIND WITH THE MODEL WE HAVE? SEN. KAHN: DAVID SAYS ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL, AND WE HAVE A MODEL RIGHT NOW THAT IS INPUT DRIVEN. IT BEGINS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE AVERAGE CLASS SIZE IS 31, WHEN IN FACT THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SCHOOL IN THE STATE THAT HAS AN AVERAGE CLASS SIZE OF 31. THE AVERAGE IN THE STATE IS A 12 STUDENT TO ONE TEACHER RATIO. IT ALSO DEPENDS ON AVERAGE SALARIES OF THIRD-YEAR TEACHERS, WHEN THAT IS NOWHERE NEAR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AVERAGE RATE OF PAY. THE POINT IS THAT THESE STANDARDIZE RATIOS ON WHICH DISTRIBUTION IS DEVELOPED IS DONE SO, TO KEEP AN AVERAGE COST TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE DENOMINATOR THAT DOESN’T EXIST IN ANY SCHOOL IN THE STATE. THE FACT IS THAT IN THE STATE, OUR AVERAGE SPENDING IS $17,000 PER STUDENT. IN SOME DISTRICTS, THEY MAY TAX THEMSELVES HEAVILY AND STILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEND $17,000 PER STUDENT. AND WE KNOW THAT IF THE DISTRICT ISN’T SPENDING WHAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE THE SAME AVERAGE OUTCOMES IN THE STATE, THAT IS PUTTING STUDENTS AT A DISADVANTAGE AND SOME POLAR COMMUNICATE — SOME POORER COMMUNITIES HAVING TO RAISE THAT FUNDING, A TAX RATE THAT COULD EXCEED $20 PER THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUATION WHILE OTHER COMMUNITIES, THAT IS LESS THAN TWO DOLLARS PER $1000 ASSESSED VALUATION. THERE ARE ISSUES ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES THAT ARE INEQUITABLE, AND WE CAN FIND THE BASIS ON WHICH THAT IS, AND IT STARTS LARGELY WITH THE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL. IF YOU’VE GOT MORE STUDENTS COMING FROM BACKGROUNDS OF POVERTY, WHERE STUDENTS HAVE SPECIAL LANGUAGE OR EDUCATION NEEDS, THAT THE COST OF EDUCATION IN THAT DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE GREATER, AND YET BECAUSE OF THE TAX BASE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RAISE AS MUCH AS WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO BALANCE, TO BE ABLE TO TAKE STATE RESOURCES AND DIRECT THOSE TO THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THE NEED IS GREATER, AND THE OUTCOMES NEED TO BE LIFTED, TO ACHIEVE THOSE THAT ARE COMMON AND AVERAGE ACROSS THE STATE. SEAN: WE HAVE HEARD THEMES LIKE THIS BEFORE. REPRESENTATIVE LUNEAU, THERE IS A LINE IN THIS REPORT THAT SAYS EXPERTS HAVE BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND IN RECENT YEARS THAT STATE SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT FOCUS ON PROVIDING THE SAME FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO EVERY DISTRICT, BUT RATHER ATTEND TO EQUITABLE FUNDING AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE STATEWIDE BENEFIT OF TAXPAYERS AND STUDENTS. ARE WE KIND OF GOING BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT WITH HOW WE FUND THIS? REP. LUNEAU: THIS IS A REAL SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD, SEAN. FIRST, RECOGNIZING AS SENATOR KAHN HAS POINTED OUT, THAT DEPENDING ON THE STUDENT BODY NEEDS AND THE NEEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISTRICT, THAT THE COST OF INADEQUATE EDUCATION, TO RECEIVE A COMPARABLE STATEWIDE OUTCOME VARIES FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT. ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO FUND THEIR BUDGET VARIES FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT. IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO USE ITS LIMITED RESOURCES, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY DISTRICT HAS ACCESS TO THE FUNDS THEY NEED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE EDUCATION, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES FOR THE DISPARITY IN STUDENT OUTCOMES THAT WE SEE TODAY. IT IS IMPORTANT, AND I THINK A LOT OF GRANITE STATERS KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION. ON AVERAGE, WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST STUDENT OUTCOMES IN THE COUNTRY. THE PROBLEM IS IT IS JUST NOT EVERYWHERE. SITTING HERE IN HOPKINS IS ONE THING. THERE ARE A LOT OF TOWNS THAT HAVE VERY STRONG STUDENT OUTCOMES, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR AWAY TO FIND CITIES AND TOWNS WHERE THAT IS JUST NOT HAPPENING, AND THAT IS WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DISTRICTS ARE RESOURCED PROPERLY, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ADEQUATE EDUCATION. SEAN: YOU USED THE WORD ADEQUATE. ADEQUACY SEEMS TO BE A WORD WE USE QUITE A BIT IN THESE DISCUSSIONS. CENTRE, IF YOU COULD TALK — SENATOR, IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, WHAT IS ADEQUATE EDUCATION OR ADEQUATE FUNDING? SEN. KAHN: THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. ADEQUATE EDUCATION, OUR CONSTITUTION IS PRETTY CLEAR. IT LAYS OUT THE GOALS OF EDUCATION. IT HAS TWO GOALS, ONE IS TO BE PREPARED FOR THE WORKFORCE AND THE OTHER IS TO BE AN ENGAGED CITIZENRY. WHENEVER EDUCATION SYSTEM — WIN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS NOT SUCCEEDING IN EVERY PLACE, THE PREPAREDNESS OF THE WORKFORCE AND THE ABILITIES AND ENGAGEMENT OF THE CITIZENRY WILL VARY. THAT IS THE OUTCOME HERE. WHEN THE COURT DEFINES WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY FOR ADEQUATE EDUCATION, IT IS NOT JUST WHAT THE, COURSES ARE THAT STUDENTS HAVE — NOT JUST WHAT THE COURSES ARE, THAT STUDENTS HAVE, IT IS WHAT THE STUDENT NEEDS TO SUCCEED. THOSE RESOURCES BECAUSE OF DIFFERENCES IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, DIFFERENCES IN HOW STUDENTS LEARN AND WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, ARE GOING TO VARY FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY. WHAT THE STUDY FOUND IS THAT IF YOU JUST DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD, WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE STUDENTS BEHIND. IF WE DO THIS IN A TARGETED MANNER THAT STRESSES ALLOCATION BASED ON STUDENT NEEDS, AND COMMUNITY ABILITY TO RAISE THE FUNDS, THE STATE CAN STRUCTURE ALLOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION THAT WILL MEET THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEFINITIONS OF INADEQUATE EDUCATION — OF ADEQUATE EDUCATION. SEAN: REPRESENTATIVE, THE TOUGH QUESTION I GUESS IS YOU WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS WERE, IS THIS GOING TO RAISE MY TAXES — TAXPAYERS WORRYING, IS THIS GOING TO RAISE MY TAXES? REP. LUNEAU: THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CRITICAL OF FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION PROPERLY SAY WE JUST CAN’T DO IT. IT NEEDS A NEW TAX. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THE STUDY COMMISSION FOUND. THE STUDY COMMISSION FOUND THAT WE CAN DO IT WITH THE TAX REVENUE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, AND THE REVENUE SOURCES THAT ARE IN PLACE. THE COMMISSION IS NOT SUGGESTING THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE SPEND MORE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT USES ITS RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT MAKES SURE THAT MANCHESTER HAS THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE SAME ADEQUATE EDUCATION FOR ITS STUDENTS AS OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE. SEAN: I WANT SOME FINAL THOUGHTS IF YOU DON’T MIND. I WILL START WITH YOU, STATE SENATOR. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHAT DO YOU HOPE COMES OUT OF THIS? SEN. KAHN: WE HOPE THAT IN THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE LEGISLATURE WILL TAKE THIS UP. WE’VE GOT A BIENNIAL BUDGET COMING UP — BIANNUAL BUDGET COMING UP. TOWNS ARE DEVELOPING THEIR BUDGETS AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE SOME ASSUREDNESS THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE CONTINUED FUNDING IN THE FISCAL 22 BUDGETS FROM THE STATE TO HELP SUPPORT THE REVENUE TOWN MEETINGS ARE BEGINNING TO CONSIDER IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2021. NOT A LOT OF CHANGE IN THE BIANNUAL. IN THE SECOND YEAR, THIS IS WHEN THE STATE NEEDS TO BEGIN TO HAVE THE DEBATE. IS THERE A BETTER DISTRIBUTION MODEL, FOR ALLOCATING STATE FUNDS, AND GETTING BETTER OUTCOMES THROUGHOUT THE STATE? WE CAN DEMONSTRATE A MODEL AND BRING THAT FORWARD IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. I THINK FOLKS WILL SEE THAT THE GOALS OF HOW WE MEASURE THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVANTAGE ISN’T JUST ON WHAT WE TAX. IT IS ALSO ON OUR OUTCOMES. WE ARE GOING TO GET A MUCH BETTER OUTCOME BASED MODEL WITH SOMETHING THAT TRIES TO FUND STUDENT EQUITY AND TAXPAYER EQUITY. SEAN: LET ME GIVE HER PRESENTED OF LUNEAU THE FINAL THOUGHT — LET ME GIVE REPRESENTATIVE LUNEAU THE FINAL THOUGHT. DO YOU SEE CHANGE? REP. LUNEAU: I CERTAINLY HOPE SO. THE COMMISSION CAME DOWN AS A CONSENSUS ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE STATE, DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS. I THINK EVERYBODY REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE ARE FACING AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM. IT IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM SPECIFIC TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY FUNDING SCHOOLS, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT. SEAN: STATE SENATOR JAY K

CloseUp: Education funding in NH

Updated: 4:07 PM EST Dec 27, 2020

A new study explores the changes needed to make school funding equitable in the state, but will there be an appetite for it at the State House?

A new study explores the changes needed to make school funding equitable in the state, but will there be an appetite for it at the State House?