Education (School Funding)

vetoed · New Hampshire · House Aug 19, 2026

HB 1610: allowing school districts to annually retain year-end unassigned general funds.

HB 1610 would allow New Hampshire school districts to retain unused general funds at the end of each fiscal year for the next year, instead of returning them to taxpayers. The bill limits retained funds to 2.5% of the district's annual property tax revenue and requires school boards to hold a public hearing before using the funds. Districts must also provide an annual public report detailing how the retained funds were spent. This change modifies existing law to give school districts ongoing flexibility for managing unanticipated expenses.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows school districts to retain unused funds instead of returning to taxpayers, preventing loss of allocated resources for education operations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

passed · New Hampshire · House Apr 23, 2026

HB 1121: defining the cost of an adequate education.

HB 1121 defines the specific resources required to calculate the cost of an adequate education in New Hampshire. It mandates that the state include certain personnel and materials - such as teachers, counselors, nurses, instructional supplies, technology, facility maintenance, and transportation - in its funding calculations. This bill directly affects how the state determines the necessary resources for public schools to meet educational standards. The definition applies to all public school funding decisions under RSA 193-E:2-a, requiring the state to formally account for these elements when assessing educational costs. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates inclusion of teachers, counselors, supplies, and maintenance in state funding calculations for public schools, ensuring adequate resource allocation for education.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates inclusion of teachers, counselors, supplies, and infrastructure in funding calculations to ensure adequate resource allocation for schools.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly mandates technology as a required resource in school funding calculations, directly supporting educational technology investment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Student Health

Track

signed · New Hampshire · House Jun 9, 2026

HB 1827: requiring the department of education to conduct a confidential criminal history record check on all prospective educational personnel.

HB 1827 establishes a grant program to address funding gaps in New Hampshire school districts that lack sufficient fiscal capacity to provide an adequate education. The bill requires eligible districts to submit annual accountability plans detailing how grant funds will support academic growth in K-12, with progress reports due by January 15 each even year. It applies to all public school districts, including cooperative districts and those with tuition agreements, mandating that districts demonstrate how funds improve student achievement through standardized assessments. Crucially, the bill does not provide new state funding or authorize new positions - only creating a framework for existing Education Trust Fund resources to be allocated based on need. The program will take effect July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes state grant program to address school funding gaps, increasing public education appropriations and fiscal capacity for districts.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes grant program to address school funding gaps for adequate education, requiring accountability plans for K-12 academic growth.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education School Funding

failed · New Hampshire · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 1104: modifying the priority of applications for school building aid grants.

HB 1104 changes how New Hampshire school districts and chartered public schools are ranked for building aid grants. It removes the previous rule that automatically prioritized applications from the prior year that didn't receive funding due to budget limits, as well as applications with "critical needs" (like unsafe conditions). Instead, all applications will now be ranked solely based on the standard scoring criteria outlined in the law, including factors like unsafe facilities, overcrowding, ADA compliance, and school district fiscal capacity. This change affects every school district applying for building aid grants by altering the ranking process used to determine funding order.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRemoves automatic priority for critical needs (unsafe facilities) in grant ranking, potentially delaying essential school infrastructure funding by requiring all applications to compete under standard criteria.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

in committee · New Hampshire · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 1288: relative to enabling school administrative units to adopt budget caps.

HB 1288 allows New Hampshire school administrative units to set annual budget caps for their operations. The cap is calculated using the previous year's overhead cost per student (adjusted for inflation via a standard index) multiplied by average daily student enrollment across all member districts. If a school district's proposed budget exceeds this cap, voters must approve an override with a 3/5 majority vote; otherwise, the cap amount automatically becomes the adopted budget. This applies to any school administrative unit that chooses to adopt the cap, directly affecting how school budgets are set and approved within those units.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill imposes school budget caps requiring voter approval for overages, restricting government spending without additional funding.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill imposes budget caps requiring voter approval for increases, limiting school funding flexibility and preventing automatic budget growth without override votes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

Track

passed · New Hampshire · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 583: directing the department of education to create an education funding transparency data and reporting system.

SB 583 directs New Hampshire's Department of Education to create a public education funding transparency system tracking how state education dollars are allocated, disbursed, and spent over the past decade at the school, district, and intermediate unit levels. The system must include data visualization dashboards for state officials (like the legislature and governor) and public-facing tools showing aggregate, non-identifiable funding data. Key features require the system to integrate diverse data sources, ensure strict privacy compliance (including de-identified data and small cell suppression), and support advanced analytics for forecasting and program evaluation. The bill appropriates $900,000 for system creation and $500,000 annually for maintenance starting in 2027.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates transparency system for education funding allocation/spending, enhancing accountability without defunding. Strengthens school funding oversight per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

Track

failed · New Hampshire · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 1826: relative to the cost of an opportunity for an adequate education.

HB 1826 increases New Hampshire's per-pupil funding rate for public schools starting in 2027, raising the base cost from $4,100 to $4,438 per student. It also adjusts differentiated aid for specific student groups: increasing free/reduced lunch support from $2,300 to $2,441 per qualifying student, English language learners from $800 to $866, and special education services from $2,100 to $3,203 per student. This bill directly affects all public school districts in New Hampshire, particularly those serving students who qualify for these targeted supports. The fiscal note estimates it will increase state education spending by approximately $27 million annually starting in fiscal year 2028, primarily through the Education Trust Fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases per-pupil funding ($4,100→$4,438) and differentiated aid for schools, directly raising state education budget allocations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases per-pupil funding ($4,100→$4,438) and differentiated aid for all specified student groups, directly advancing school funding priorities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education

Track

in committee · New Hampshire · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 1579: establishing a committee to study methods for increasing revenues to enable additional spending on education.

HB 1579 establishes a legislative committee to study potential revenue sources for increasing education funding in New Hampshire. The committee, composed of 10 members (four from each legislative party with revenue expertise, plus two Senate appointees), will analyze options like new taxes or modified existing ones to boost education aid while reducing property taxes. It must examine factors including revenue reliability, implementation costs, economic impacts on businesses, and effects on different income groups and housing types. The committee is prohibited from recommending specific options and must report findings by November 1, 2026, to state leaders. This bill creates a study process only, with no immediate policy changes or funding allocations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes committee to study revenue sources for increasing education funding, aiming to boost public education spending through fiscal measures.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly establishes committee to study revenue sources for increasing education funding, aiming to enable additional spending on education per title and summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue School Funding

Track

in committee · New Hampshire · House Jun 23, 2026

HB 1824: relative to school district financial distress.

This bill provides financial assistance to school districts in financial distress, defined as those where annual expenditures exceed available funding. It authorizes the state education commissioner to offer loans to such districts (with approval from a joint legislative committee) and establishes a revolving loan fund to help districts manage cash flow before receiving state adequacy payments. Municipalities can also provide emergency aid from existing funds, with repayment terms and oversight requirements, and the bill increases the maximum contingency fund contribution from 5% to 10% of a district's net assessment. These provisions aim to stabilize school district finances without altering special education funding exemptions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides state loans and revolving fund to assist financially distressed school districts, directly funding essential public education services through fiscal management mechanisms.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides financial assistance via loans and revolving fund to school districts in distress, ensuring funding stability for K-12 operations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Debt & Bonds School Funding Special Education Testing & Assessment

Track

failed · New Hampshire · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 582: modifying the base cost of an adequate education.

SB 582 increases New Hampshire's base cost for an adequate education from $4,100 to $7,356.01 per student for the 2027-2028 school year, directly affecting public schools receiving state funding. It expands the definition of "adequate education" to include specific resources like teachers, counselors, technology, and facilities maintenance. The bill requires the state to update this cost every two years using actual school data and adjusts funding formulas accordingly. The fiscal note estimates this change will cost approximately $500 million annually starting in 2028, funded through the Education Trust Fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases state education funding by raising base cost per student and mandating updated funding formulas, directly advancing public school budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases base education funding by 79% ($4,100 → $7,356) and expands 'adequate education' to include teachers, counselors, tech, and facilities, directly strengthening school funding mechanisms.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly includes technology as a required component of 'adequate education,' mandating state funding for tech resources in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Student Health

Track