New Hampshire

As EFA program grows, Democrats push for more oversight • New Hampshire Bulletin

Published

1 year ago

November 15, 2024

As EFA program grows, Democrats push for more oversight • New Hampshire Bulletin

New Hampshire’s education freedom account program grew by 12 percent over the past year, the Department of Education announced Thursday. But as Republican lawmakers seek to expand the program and potentially remove all income limits, Democrats continue to raise concerns over the use of funds in the program.

At a hearing for the program’s legislative oversight committee Tuesday, Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, argued that more data is needed to demonstrate that students who are taking EFAs are doing better than they would have in public schools – particularly those in religious schools.

“We do not have aggregate information as to how the students in the program are performing using accepted statewide academic assessments or measured progress toward mastering any competencies that are considered part of an adequate education,” Altschiller said.

She added: “You know, we have schools that are not teaching to the standards of some very, very highly respected private, independent schools. They’re not all teaching to the same standards.”

Created in 2021, the education freedom account program allows parents in families making up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level – $109,200 for families of four – to use per-pupil state education funding toward private school and home-schooling costs such as tuition.

The program follows the state’s adequacy formula to determine how much each student receives: Families get a minimum of $4,182 per year per student, but can get more for students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches, who are English language learners, or who require special education services.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the program’s fourth year, 5,321 students joined the program, according to the department. About 37 percent of those students – 1,974 – came from families making up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or $57,720 for a family of four.

In total, the program is using $27.7 million of funds from the Education Trust Fund this school year, with an average payout per student of $5,204. That’s a 25 percent increase over last year’s spend of $22.1 million. So far, that spending makes up 2.2 percent of the total $1.2 billion estimated to fill the Education Trust Fund this year.

The program grew at a slower rate last year than in past years, such as 2023 to 2024, when the number of students participating increased 39 percent. The change then was partly structural: In 2023, Republican lawmakers raised the income cap from 300 percent of the federal poverty level to 350 percent.

But while the program takes up 2.2 percent of the trust fund now, that portion will likely grow if lawmakers vote to remove all income caps and make the program universal. Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte said she would support that move in her campaign for governor, and top House lawmakers have also indicated interest.

Republicans and other supporters of the program say it provides helpful state support for families who are not interested in the public education system, or who have tried the public school system and had trouble such as bullying or difficulty acquiring special education services. And they argue making the program universal eliminates the “cliff effect” faced by families who make slightly too much money to qualify for a given cap.

But Democrats argue the state should not be sending public funds to assist with private school expenses and that the money would be better spent on increased state aid to public schools. Making the program universal would allow wealthy families who already pay to put their children in private school the ability to use state funds that could go to public education, they argue.

And the parties have quarreled over how to oversee the program. On Tuesday, members of the Education Freedom Savings Account Oversight Committee met to finalize their annual report looking into how many students are using the accounts and how much the program is spending.

Altschiller argued the committee’s final report presents a rosy picture of success for the families that are taking the EFAs without the necessary data to confirm academic improvement. “We have individual anecdotal reports from a minority of parents who took their children out of the public school system and then put them into a religious school environment, and we have no data on that.”

Republicans on the committee countered that while the state does require standardized testing for students in grades three through eight and 11, the committee could not see how those scores follow EFA students without violating privacy.

Rep. Rick Ladd, a Haverhill Republican and the chairman of the House Education Committee, said the survey responses from parents who have received EFAs are sufficient feedback to know that the program is working for them.

“We’re making decisions based upon social conditions,” he said. “We’re making [decisions] based upon parent information. We’re making decisions that are based upon what is seen in terms of progress, subjectively.”

Sen. Ruth Ward, a Republican of Stoddard and the chair of the oversight committee, agreed.

“I think that what you are proposing is for each individual child that uses EFA, we have to set up a special program finding out how they are taught and what they are learning,” she said to Altschiller. “And I think based on anecdotal evidence, I think what we have heard is that parents are making the choice, and most of the parents who have gone to a different school are happy about the change.”

Altschiller disagreed: “They have the freedom to educate the way they want to,” she said of private schools. “The difference is that now we’re paying for it and we can’t. We have no say. We have no oversight. We don’t even have a look at it.”

Altschiller also wanted the final report to clearly note the number of students who attended public school before receiving EFAs. According to Thursday’s department data, 36 percent of all EFA students left their public school; 64 percent came from families who already were home schooling or sending their children to private school before getting an EFA.

Democrats argue that ratio undermines how the program was presented by Republicans when it passed: as a way for students to have an alternative option if the public school they attended was not right for them.

Republicans say families should still receive the funding even if their children never attended a public school because the EFA will help them to continue to afford that choice.

The hours-long meeting ended with heated words; Altschiller eventually said she would write her objections and clarifications in a minority report attached to the official document.

Meanwhile, after claiming larger majorities in the Nov. 5 election, Republican state lawmakers are gearing up for a budget season next year in which they attempt to make universal education freedom accounts a reality.

House Deputy Majority Leader Jim Kofalt said he expected most House Republicans to be behind that measure – even amid some concerns about ongoing costs to the state.

“I certainly think we could expand it,” he said in an interview shortly after the election.

In May, the Republican-led Senate rejected an effort by the House to raise the cap from 350 percent to 500 percent, arguing that was too high an increase and proposing a jump to 400 percent instead. The House rejected the counter-offer and the bill failed.

Kofalt said next year, House Republicans would start out with an attempt to remove all income limits, and failing that, revert to 500 percent.

“I wouldn’t say we’ll get every Republican, but I think we will get a pretty solid majority of the caucus. So can we pass universal? I don’t know. Possibly.”

In a statement accompanying this year’s numbers, Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut expressed his support for the program.

“It is clear that there is a growing demand for more schooling options in the Granite State,” Edelblut said.

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New Hampshire

Queen City Woman Arrested Again On Driving Under The Influence Charges After A Crash In Concord

Published

11 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Press Room

Queen City Woman Arrested Again On Driving Under The Influence Charges After A Crash In Concord

CONCORD, NH — A woman from Manchester is facing another driving under the influence charge after a crash on Airport Road in Concord in January.

Around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 31, officers were sent to the area of Manchester Street and Airport Road for a report of a crash. The caller told dispatch the driver, a woman, had driven into a snowbank, and she smelled like alcohol, according to an affidavit.

The first officer arrived and found a 2014 Subaru Forester between the road and Concord Nissan. The SUV had airbag deployment and “the undercarriage seemed to be destroyed,” the officer wrote.

The officer approached the SUV and spoke to the operator, identified later as Nicole E. Roy, 37, of Youville Street in Manchester, and accused her of having “bloodshot and glassy” eyes. She also had “thick, slow, slurred speech,” and smelled like alcohol, the reporting officer said.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

“I asked her what happened and she spoke too softly for me to understand her,” the office wrote in the report. “She then told me her ex-boyfriend was calling her, and she drove off the road.”

Fire and rescue teams were requested and evaluated her, but she declined services, the report said. While she was being checked, the reporting officer spoke to a witness, a man in his early 20s, who reported seeing her “drive off the road at a high rate of speed.” When the witness approached the vehicle to see if the driver was OK, he accused her of smelling like alcohol and being impaired, the report stated.

When asked if she had anything to drink, Roy said she had not, the officer wrote. The officer then asked if she had hit her head or were injured and she said no, due to wearing a seatbelt.

Roy was requested to take a field sobriety test and was unsteady on her feet and nearly fell when exiting the vehicle, the affidavit said. She walked in the new, deep snow, and into the parking lot of Concord Nissan, but was accused of struggling.

“I was concerned she was going to fall,” the officer wrote. “Roy refused my assistance.”

After going through three sets of tests, the officer asked if she was being honest about her alcohol consumption, the report said. When asked why she smelled like alcohol and her eyes displayed signs of impairment, she told the officer she smoked cannabis around 11 a.m., the report said.

Roy was arrested and “showed a variety of emotions” during the trip to police headquarters for processing, “from being nice, to crying, to yelling at (the officer) in a short span of time,” the affidavit said.

At the police station, Roy was accused of being unsteady on her feet and smelling of alcohol after being taken out of the cruiser. She walked into a wall on the ramp inside the stationhouse, a report said.

The officer also called the owner of the Subaru, who “refused to pick her up,” and called Roy “an alcoholic,” according to an affidavit.

Roy was accused of displaying “a range of emotions” while calling three people to assist her, the report said.

The officer also noted Roy was convicted of driving under the influence in Hooksett District Court in May 2023.

On Feb. 2, she pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Feb. 5, she was granted a public defender.

Do you have a news tip? Email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 217 communities — and expanding every day. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.

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New Hampshire

NH secretary of state to address Portsmouth $1.6M SchoolCare dispute

Published

23 hours ago

March 15, 2026

Press Room

NH secretary of state to address Portsmouth .6M SchoolCare dispute

PORTSMOUTH — New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan is expected to attend the Monday, March 16 City Council meeting in the wake of a controversy about SchoolCare’s demand for a $1.57 million payment from the city, according to Mayor Deaglan McEachern.

SchoolCare, a nonprofit risk pool that works to provide health insurance to all the city’s school employees and 90 school districts statewide, stated “if any” town or city “failed to pay the assessment, then SchoolCare may stop paying claims on insured members,” Deputy City Attorney Trevor McCourt previously told the council.

SchoolCare is overseen by the secretary of state’s office.

McEachern stressed during a March 13 interview “we need to be able to provide health care for our teachers, that’s the highest priority we have in these discussions.”

McEachern, in his letter, thanked Scanlan for his “willingness, expressed through our conversation … to come to Portsmouth to discuss these issues at the City Council meeting on March 16. The city’s concerns arise from the extraordinary assessment SchoolCare recently imposed on its members.”

The mayor went on to write, “SchoolCare reported approximately $29.5 million in reserves as of June 30, 2023; those reserves were depleted quickly, and SchoolCare now reports an operational deficit. … The size and timing of the assessment have had immediate and serious impacts on taxpayers.”

Portsmouth counteroffer rejected by SchoolCare

Stating “Portsmouth seeks to approach this situation constructively,” McEachern’s letter describes a counteroffer.

“While the city does not agree that risk pools have statutory or contractual authority to levy assessments of this nature, we want to remain part of a stable, effective pool and contribute to a reasonable solution,” McEachern said.

He wrote Portsmouth is proposing to pay $247,660.71 and the remaining $1,322,945.07 over a two-year period to avoid the “disruption” paying the full amount.

The mayor confirmed that when McCourt recently appeared before SchoolCare’s Board of Directors, Portsmouth’s counteroffer was rejected. But he stated Portsmouth remains “willing to work with SchoolCare to make sure our teachers get the health care they deserve.”

What mayor is expecting from secretary of state

McEachern said based on his conversation with Scanlan, he expects the secretary of state to “come tell us why this is legal, and answer any questions we have. I look forward to that.”

McEachern stressed Portsmouth would not be “bullied” by SchoolCare into paying an assessment it believes is not legal under state law. He added if SchoolCare were to stop paying claims filed by Portsmouth’s school employees “that would be a breach of the contract.”

“We’re looking at all available options,” McEachern said. “We believe we have made fair and legal offers to SchoolCare, and want to be able to have our teachers have no interruption in their health coverage. Unfortunately they’ve taken the tack that they have. It’s not a just or fair thing to do.”

He expects that after city councilors hears from Scanlan, they could have a discussion about next steps.

“ We may have to talk to our legal counsel first,” McEachern said.

McEachern says solution should be rate-setting, not billing taxpayers

McEachern maintained in his letter to Scanlan “this assessment raises broader policy concerns warranting your direct attention given your statutory responsibilities.

“It was levied contrary to state law, the membership agreements and SchoolCare Board policies, without a meaningful public process,” McEachern wrote. “By shifting costs retroactively and disproportionately onto taxpayers rather than sharing them prospectively and transparently through rate-setting, this approach undermines confidence in the public risk pool model.”

He told Scanlan the implications “extend well beyond Portsmouth.”

“Municipalities and school districts across New Hampshire depend on the stability and predictability of public risk pools in order to responsibly plan their budgets and manage taxpayer dollars,” he said. “When large retroactive assessments are imposed without clear authority or process, it creates uncertainty not only for local governments but for taxpayers across the state who ultimately bear the cost.”

McCourt sent out a statement from the city’s Legal Department on March 13.

It stated city officials on March 13 “affirmed that health insurance coverage for Portsmouth School Department staff remains in place and uninterrupted, while the city continues to seek a reasonable and lawful resolution of an unprecedented and disputed, mid-year assessment imposed by” SchoolCare.

In the release McCourt reported the “city has proposed multiple paths toward resolution, each of which SchoolCare has declined.”

McCourt added the city “will provide a public update to the City Council and School Board at the March 16, 2026 City Council meeting, following an anticipated public presentation” by the Secretary of State.

The city’s “school side employees,” have been members of SchoolCare, a risk pool that administers health insurance, “since about 2012,” he said previously.

The city has agreed to pay for SchoolCare coverage next fiscal year, even though rates are projected to increase by 26%, McCourt told the City Council previously.

“I’ve also found as of June 30 of 2023, SchoolCare had a reserve in the amount of $29.5 million, which was then paid down and extinguished and exhausted over a period of three years,” McCourt said. “This assessment again is designed to refill a portion of that reserve, with the remainder apparently to be recovered through rate setting, through the ordinary course.”

SchoolCare leader seeks agreement

Lisa Duquette, the executive director at SchoolCare, previously said she’s “absolutely” hopeful the city and SchoolCare can reach an agreement.

“We have 98% of our membership who either paid in full, or have entered into agreements to pay in full by July 15,” she said.

Monday’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and will be held in City Council chambers.

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New Hampshire

Give Back NH: The Bancroft House

Published

1 day ago

March 15, 2026

Press Room

Every other week on NHPR, we like to put a spotlight on people and places doing interesting things around the state on Give Back NH.

Learn more about what the Bancroft House has to offer, including volunteer and donation opportunities here.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Just across a one lane bridge over the Gale River in Franconia, New Hampshire, sits a large yellow house with a barn in the back. This is the Bancroft House, and since 1982, its mission has been to provide a secure, temporary home for women, children and families in need with compassion and respect for those they serve.

Executive Director Bob Gorgone has been with the Bancroft House since 1990 and lives on site at the shelter. He says that sometimes a secure, safe place is all someone needs to start to get things back on track.

Bob Gorgone: Sometimes that’s all they need is somewhere where they can sit and relax for a while, and then they can get their minds straight.

The newly remodeled kitchen in the Bancroft House.

A majority of the folks who use the Bancroft House’s services are people who are experiencing homelessness for the first time. Bob says this experience is shocking to them, and a safe space is something that can ease their anxiety.

Bob Gorgone: Some people, it’s a shock to them and they’re very anxious, and this is a place where they can get that under control and then start thinking, “What am I going to do in the future?”

Tenants at the Bancroft House are limited to a stay of 90 days, during which time they will receive reminders every 30 days that they’re meant to be looking for permanent housing.

Kevin Johnson is the treasurer and a member of the board of directors at the Bancroft House. He’s been with the organization since 2014 and says that this model has been hugely successful for the organization.

A desk in the Bancroft House where residents can use provided resources to look for permanent housing.

Kevin Johnson: That’s a model that has proven very successful in both motivating folks and making sure that we have availability for folks on a rolling basis.

A big reason for the 90 day limit, Kevin says, is because of the needs of others in the community.

Kevin Johnson: We’re quite often in a queue. We’re getting calls regularly and, you know, a space that could go to the next family or the next individual, they’re waiting.

Shelter isn’t the only thing the Bancroft House provides to its tenants. They provide food, laundry services, personal care products, and in the backyard in the new barn, there’s appliances, tools, furniture — anything that could help make a home. The Bancroft House provides all of these supplies free to the residents who move into permanent housing after their stay as a way to help them get on their feet.

The barn at the Bancroft House, filled with supplies, furniture, and anything one would need to get on their feet after finding permanent housing.

One of the residents at the Bancroft House during my visit was Michele Sorrell. She came to stay there after an incident at her brother’s home. Michelle says that one of the highlights during her stay was being able to meet and connect with Kevin and Bob, as well as the fellow people living there.

Michele Sorrell: Getting to know people like I know Kevin and I’m slowly getting to know Bob. It’s always nice to get to know the people that run the place and people that are also tenants.

One key aspect of the success of the Bancroft House, both Kevin and Bob say, has been the Franconia community as a whole.

Kevin Johnson: Our efforts are privately supported from local communities, grants, businesses, church groups. When it comes to food, the local church has Wednesday night dinners and I go down there and pick up the dinners and bring them back here to the house for the residents.

Bob Gorgone: It’s been great. You know, local businesses donate to us all the time. You know, individuals donate to us all the time. When they have something that’s come to them that they don’t need, they give us a call. Yeah, they’ve been terrific.

Kevin says that was his goal from his first days at the organization.

Kevin Johnson: I’ve advocated to the board from the very beginning that you build a strong community of support, and the community will support your efforts, and we’ve been very successful in that.

Before I left, I asked Bob what’s kept him in the organization since 1990.

Bob Gorgone: I enjoy it, you know. I enjoy seeing the successes that we do have. And that makes me feel good that I’m being, I’m doing something that’s worthwhile.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story included the incorrect location of the Bancroft House.

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