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

New photo released in unsolved 1997 homicide of a N.H. woman

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

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New photo released in unsolved 1997 homicide of a N.H. woman

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“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” said the family of the victim.

A new photo has been released of the victim in a nearly 30-year-long unsolved murder case, in the hope of finding any new potential witnesses in the cold case, New Hampshire officials said.

“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” the family of Rosalie Miller said in a press release. “We miss her and want to give her peace.”

Miller was last seen on December 8, 1996 at her apartment in Manchester. At the time of her disappearance, Miller had plans on meeting friends in the Auburn, New Hampshire area, officials said.

Her body was found on January 20, 1997 in a partially wooded spot on a residential lot along the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn, officials said in the release.

The autopsy report declared Miller’s death a homicide by asphyxiation due to ligature strangulation, N.H. officials wrote.

As part of a new effort to garner public help with the case, an “uncirculated” photo of Miller, 36, is being distributed “in hopes it may jog the memory of someone who saw or spoke with her in the winter of 1996,” Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall announced on behalf of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit in a joint press release.

Investigators are especially hoping to talk to anyone who was in contact with Miller in December of 1996 or anyone “who may have seen her in the vicinity of the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn during that time,” officials said in the release.

The newly released photo of Rosalie Miller, 36, who was strangled to death nearly 30 years ago. – Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall

“We are releasing this new photograph today because we believe someone out there has information, perhaps a detail they thought was insignificant at the time, that could be the key to solving this case and bringing justice for Rosalie and those who loved her,” Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, New Hampshire Cold Case Unit Chief said in the release.

The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit encourages anyone with any amount of information to contact the group at [email protected] or (603) 271-2663.

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New Hampshire

Former president of NH-based charity sentenced after stealing $350K

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

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Former president of NH-based charity sentenced after stealing 0K

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New Hampshire

Mass. man struck by car, seriously injured on I-93 in Londonderry, NH

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

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Mass. man struck by car, seriously injured on I-93 in Londonderry, NH

A Massachusetts man was flown to the hospital after he was struck by a car when he stepped out of his vehicle in the breakdown lane of Interstate 93 in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.

State police say 40-year-old Felix Matos Medina, of Lawrence, had stopped on the right side of I-93 south at Exit 5 just before 11 a.m. to investigate a possible mechanical issue. He was struck shortly after he stepped out of his vehicle by a Chevrolet Malibu and sustained serious injuries.

Medina was taken by medical helicopter to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., police said. There was no immediate update on his condition.

I-93 southbound was closed near Exit 5 for about 30 minutes to facilitate the medical helicopter’s landing. One lane remained closed for several hours to accommodate crash reconstruction and on-scene investigation.

The driver who struck Medina, identified as David Jodoin, stopped at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, according to police. No charges have been filed at this time, but all aspects of the crash remain under investigation at this time.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Evan Puopolo at 603-451-9784.

State police are also reminding all New Hampshire drivers that Sherrill’s Law requires motorists approaching a stopped vehicle displaying warning signals to slow down and give plenty of space. Drivers are also required to move out of partially or wholly blocked lanes when it’s safe to do so.

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