New Hampshire
Should N.H.’s school choice program be open to everyone? – The Boston Globe
Currently, only lower-income families earning up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible. That works out to about $112,525 for a family of four.
The first public hearing on House Bill 115, which has 10 Republican co-sponsors in the House, in addition to four Republican Senators, was held on Thursday. The bill would remove the household income criteria from eligibility requirements for the program.
“Proposals to expand the State’s over budget, unaccountable voucher program to more than $100 million per year are misguided and will only serve to further harm public school students by cutting into already limited State funds,” Zack Sheehan, executive director of the N.H. School Funding Fairness Project, said in a statement. “Heading into school budget season, I expect to hear a lot about rising costs associated with special education and the challenges of budgeting for those unpredictable costs. Meanwhile, the State barely makes a dent in fulfilling these mandated expenses, and was threatening to leave districts in the lurch for over $16 million in unreimbursed expenses.”
“The State is actively failing to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to adequately fund public education,” he said. “We should be focused on reducing property taxes by shifting more public school funding to the State, not expanding the voucher program.”
But the effort to open the program to more people has the support of Governor Kelly Ayotte.
During her inaugural speech last week, she promised to expand the program and make sure more families can put their children in the learning environment that is best for them.
“We strongly believe in public schools, but they don’t always fit for every child,” she said during a press conference Wednesday.
Ayotte said education freedom accounts have successfully helped children reach their full potential in a variety of learning environments. And while she said she supports universal Education Freedom Accounts, the timing for enacting that change remains hazy.
“I’ll work with the legislature on that as the ultimate goal and what we do over this biennium, I think regardless of whether we get to universal or not, we’ll be expanding those opportunities,” she said.
Efforts to expand the program failed last year.
State revenues are lagging and Republicans have said they are looking at possible areas where they can cut spending. Expanding education freedom accounts wouldn’t be a negligible expense, according to analysis from Reaching Higher NH, a nonprofit education think tank.
The organization’s analysis found universal eligibility for education freedom accounts could cost over $100 million per year. In the 2024-2025 school year, the program cost about $26 million. As of Wednesday evening, 502 people had logged their support of the bill, while 2,061 opposed it through the legislature’s website.
This story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
The New Hampshire Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
05-14-15-21-39, Lucky Ball: 10
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
Day: 1-5-7
Evening: 0-1-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
Day: 6-8-6-9
Evening: 7-8-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
03-08-13-33-40, Megaball: 04
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
16-19-21-25-34
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the New Hampshire Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Pick 3, 4: 1:10 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Megabucks Plus: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Hampshire managing editor. You can send feedback using this form.
On January 3, the United States military carried out what the administration called a “large-scale strike” in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, amid several reported explosions and aerial bombardment.
Tune in to Civics 101 during Here & Now on Thursday, January 8 for a special edition breaking down one of the most unprecedented events in recent international affairs. This segment begins at 1:40 p.m. EST.
Listen to NHPR on your radio, stream us online, or just ask your smart speaker to “play NHPR.” You can also listen to this special episode of Civics 101 on demand.
In this episode, hosts Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice break down the history, context, and legality of what’s unfolding now — and what it could mean for Venezuela, the United States, and international law.
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