Children's Alliance urges Board of Education not to abandon students

Calling "unfunded mandate" talk a red herring, advocates call on Gov. Lynch, Legislature to provide real leadership in solving state's education funding problem

March 3, 2005

The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire today urged the state Board of Education not to abandon New Hampshire's public school students by weakening its proposed minimum standards.

As reported in the Concord Monitor this morning, the board is leaning toward or considering retreating from several standards that would improve public education in New Hampshire. The Board's move away from standards it has spent two years crafting is a response to pressure from legislators who don't want the state to live up to its legal obligation to fund public education. Those legislators have called the higher education standards proposed by the Board of Education "unfunded mandates."

The Board is considering:
-- Changing a requirement that school districts offer public kindergarten to "strive" to offer (16 NH school districts currently do not provide public kindergarten)
-- Enlarging maximum class sizes (by the 2007-2008 school year, schools were to reduce classes in kindergarten to grade 2 from 25 to 20 students, and in grades 3 to 5 from 30 to 25 students or fewer per teacher)
-- Subtracting one credit from the graduation requirement (the Board has proposed to increase the number of credits needed from 19 3/4 to 21)

Children's Alliance Public Policy Director Steve Varnum called the unfunded mandate charges a red herring. He pointed out that the Board of Education has the duty to adopt rules related to minimum educational standards (RSAs 21-N:9 and RSA 21-N:11), but has neither the responsibility nor the power to fund those requirements.

As the new Board chairman, David Ruedig, said in December, "We're in the unfunded mandate business." ("Public talks over school standards," Concord Monitor, 12/17/04)

Responsibility to fund those standards, as part of providing an adequate education for every public school student, belongs to the legislature.

"Just because the Legislature has shirked its responsibility doesn't mean the Board of Education should do the same," Varnum said.

Varnum said this controversy illustrates the extent to which the lack of a school funding solution has poisoned every discussion about education in New Hampshire.

"The Board's job is to determine what our schools should provide. Are they backing away from kindergarten, from smaller class sizes, from higher graduation requirements, because those aren't basic elements of a quality education? No. They're backing away because the Legislature doesn't want to address -- or even acknowledge -- those issues."

"When are we going to talk about education in New Hampshire should be -- and what it could be?" Varnum asked. "If that discussion doesn't happen when the Board of Education reviews state standards, when and where does it happen?"

The Children's Alliance called upon Gov. Lynch and the Legislature to muster the political courage to create and pass a school funding plan that provides an adequate public education to every New Hampshire student and that is constitutional.

The Children's Alliance also asked the state's news media to ask Board of Education members, "What do New Hampshire students need to receive from their schools to succeed?" and to reject replies that relate to funding issues.