There are a number of bills being discussed that could have a significant impact on SAU 29 school districts. The education tax credit bill House Bill 1607 and Senate Bill 372 would essentially move money from public schools to private schools in New Hampshire.

Senate Bill 373 will allow school districts to retain funds for emergency expenditures. Funds would be used as a revenue source for emergency expenditures or over expenditures.

Senate Bill 229 will establish a defined contribution retirement plan for all new hire public employees, to be implemented November 1, 2012.

House Bill 1382 would require a truant officer obtain a warrant or permission of a parent to return a child to school following truancies.

House Bill 1713 would abolish the Department of Education.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is four years late for reauthorization. There is little chance we will see a reauthorization before the Presidential election. Consequently we can anticipate the current law which includes “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) and “Schools in Need of Improvement” (SINI) to continue through next year. The Adequate Yearly Progress targets for 2010-2011 are 91% at proficient or better in reading for grades 3-8 and 88% at proficient or better in math. At the high school level the target is at 89% proficient or better in reading and 72% at proficient or better in math. These targets include whole school scores as well as scores for the Special Education and Socio-economic subgroups.

There are several legislative committees preparing bills that will be debated beginning in January of 2012.  Business Administrator,Tim Ruehr, and I met with several legislators on December 9, 2011 to review our position on upcoming proposed legislation and to establish a communication connection as a resource for legislators dealing with education-related issues. This is the third year in a row we have invited the state legislators to participate in this important dialogue.

Keene Elementary Schools

We continue to gather questions and concerns related to the proposal to move from five elementary schools to four elementary schools and to move to narrow grade spans beginning in the fall of 2014. Since the Special Board Meeting October 25, 2011, we have received numerous questions and comments via email and through our website.

I have met with the parent teacher organizations for Jonathan Daniels, Wheelock, Fuller and Franklin and will meet with the Symonds PTO on November 16. I have met with the Jonathan Daniels staff and am in the process of meeting with other school groups.

The New Hampshire Department of Education is preparing an application for flexibility under a provision of No Child Left Behind.  In order to be eligible for a waiver a state must adopt the Common Core, ensure that all districts have an evaluation system that includes the use of student performance data, and adopt a growth model to determine Adequate Yearly Progress. The new model would be piloted next year and fully implemented in 2013.

There are no major negative state budget changes to adequacy and building aid – both are fully funded at current levels. Catastrophic Aid was funded at approximately 60%. 

The Legislature changed the composition of the Retirement Board of Trustees effective July 1, 2011. This is the board that will set the employer’s and the employees’ rates. The Legislature tenure reform bill passed which will increase the number of years from three to five and  will require each district to have a teacher performance evaluation policy. 

The New Hampshire Senate approved its version of the budget which adds about 1 million to Vocational Tuition and Transportation Aid and, $600,000 to Drop Out Assistance.  The Senate funded Catastrophic Aid (at about the same level as this year), and fully funded Building Aid. The Senate extended the moratorium on new construction eligibility for Building Aid for two years.  It also level funded adequacy and restored a small portion of the CHINs (Child in Need of Service) funding.

The New Hampshire House voted on a budget that included significant cuts in state funding to our districts. For example, the House approved budget reduced Vocational Tuition and Transportation Aid from almost 10 million to about 6 million.  Sending students attending the Cheshire Career Center at Keene High School stand to lose about 40% of the state revenue used to attend the Cheshire Career Center. Currently the state reimburses the receiving district for 75% of the tuition rate and the sending district is responsible for the remaining 25%.

The New Hampshire House approved budget last week that level funded Cat Aid to current funding levels and level funded Building Aid.  The House reduced the level of Vocational Tuition and Transportation Aid by 40% and eliminated Drop Out Assistance.  The House level funded Adequacy Aid to current funding levels and extended the moratorium on new school building aid for two years. The House added a 2 % increase in employee retirement rates that would help offset the reduction of the state’s payment.

 No overall state budget numbers will likely be final until June. The Senate has set June 2nd as its budget deadline.

There are several bills being debated in Concord that would have an impact on our students. One bill with the potential of significant impact to our revenue is HCR 26. HCR 26 declares that the Claremont case's mandates that the legislative and executive branches define an adequate education, determine its costs, fund its entire cost with state taxes, and ensure its delivery through accountability, are not binding on the legislative and executive branches.

There are numerous bills being heard in Concord that will have an impact on education.

One Bill that seems to be of interest is House Bill 337. HB 337 makes changes to the determination of the per pupil cost of the opportunity for an adequate education. The bill lowers the base line salary that would become part of the formula to determine adequacy for teachers, principals, guidance counselors, media specialists, technology coordinators, reading specialists, administrative assistants and custodians. It also lowers the total amount of aid for schools as a part of the total payment as part of the Free and Reduced Lunch program.