Governor John Lynch has allowed the state’s latest education plan to become law without his signature.
He let it pass so the state could meet a court-imposed deadline to determine the cost an adequate education.
New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports.
Governor Lynch called the education aid plan “not his preferred solution.”
Indeed, the Governor has unsuccessfully spent the better part of the session lobbying lawmakers to adopt a constitutional amendment.
Lynch argues a court ruling that requires the state to spend an equal amount of money on every student in the state is too costly.
The governor might not like the bill, but in a statement, he admits the legislation “allows us to keep moving forward on school funding.”
Senator Iris Estabrook- who helped craft the plan- says she wasn’t surprised the governor didn’t support the measure.
:27....during the session it seems like we were operating on parallel tracks. He’s been trying to move his amendment forward, and we’ve been trying to meet our legislative duty. I think the way he’s allowed this to play out, shows he is continued to be interested in solving this with an amendment.
Estabrook believes this plan represents a huge step forward in education policy.
The $940 million plan allocates $3450 for every student in the state and provides additional aid for students on free and reduced lunch, those in special education and English Language learners.
Another $48 million is distributed based on a combination of property wealth and median family income.
Pat Remick - who represents about 35 so-called donor towns agrees the state has made some gains in the last two years.
12:09 the state has gotten closer to the goals set by the Supreme Court, they’ve defined adequacy and costed it out. But I don’t think they’ve gotten any closer to how we fund it, how we distribute funding.
But what troubles Remick and many observers is how this plan will be funded going forward.
This legislation costs about $45 million more than the current aid package.
Over the next two years, donor towns won’t be affected much, if at all.
But as property values go up, a few dozen communities will have to send a portion of their state-wide property tax to Concord to be redistributed.
Politically that is untenable to some.
But Estabrook - who is not seeking reelection - says elected leaders have to take a hard look at the policy impact of relying on donor towns.
7:02 the communities that are so-called donor towns....all have property wealth per pupil that is at or near, two million dollars per pupil. And while I understand there are people in those communities who are not wealthy, there burden is helped b/c there assessments are lower.
It’s also not clear if any group will take this latest plan to court.
Jim Almendinger of the NEA says he believes people want to see how money is distributed first.
5:22 I think there is an element, wait and see. I think there is also a question of what is going to happen when they come back and appropriate the funds.
While Estabrook and others might feel the state has made significant progress towards coming up with a more final solution on education funding, not everyone agrees.
Governor Lynch and donor towns plan to continue to push for a constitutional amendment.
And Representative David Hess says Republicans will push people in the election season.
4:42 I think people are going to be sent back to Concord...to return rationality to education funding so we don’t have to go through the charade of now we are going to define it, now we are going to cost it, now we are going to fund it. it’s just a shell game that permits Democrats to say ‘well we haven’t done this yet.’
So far the Legislature has defined an adequate education and put a price tag on it.
But there is little doubt the really work will come next session when lawmakers start diving up the cash.
For NHPR News I’m DG.
