Tom Loughman writes here about the harmful impact of vouchers, which were recently defeated by a slim margin in the state legislature.
He writes:
“When I was a little boy, we lost my father to cancer. Not long after, my family lost everything else too and we struggled to make ends meet. We were always thinking about getting through the week and end of the month. But for all its challenges, my childhood taught me empathy, grit, and drive; drive to make a better life for myself. I knew I only needed the opportunity.
“That opportunity came in the form of a public education. The one thing we never had to worry about was whether I would get a great education and a hot lunch at school. I made the most it and have made a better life for my family.
“As a parent now, I followed closely the efforts of New Hampshire Republicans to pass Senate Bill 193, which would establish one of the most comprehensive school voucher programs in the country. It would siphon money from our public schools and divert them to private, religious and home schools.
“Fiscally responsible constituents would be alarmed at the financial implications of the school voucher bill. According to the legislative staff, it would have siphoned off $100 million over the first 11 years from public schools to send 2,000 children to private, religious and home schools. As expensive as that is, Sen. Dan Innis voted for a far more sweeping version twice, which would more than double those costs.
“You can imagine the impact: a reduction in public school quality and big increase in local property taxes. Despite all that spending to privatize more of our education system, there is no anticipated improvement in achievement. According to studies like the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, private schools were not better than public in producing higher achievement.
“The bottom line is that the school voucher bill significantly increases the costs of education in New Hampshire and puts the burden on local property taxpayers. Don’t take my word for it; take Republican fiscal hawk and House Finance Chairman Neil Kurk’s who said, “this bill downshifts $99 million to local property tax payers in ways that they will not be able to avoid by reducing expenses. I was not elected to downshift money on my constituents.” A few Republicans stood with him and House Democrats to defeat the bill by a slim margin. Fiscal responsibility prevailed.
“Sen. Innis and his colleagues have pledged to try again. Innis said in a recent op-ed that he believes in school choice for all New Hampshire children. However, the vouchers would not cover the full cost of private school tuitions. Therefore, the only families that can take advantage of these vouchers and attend private schools would be people who can afford a few thousand dollars difference between the voucher and tuition.
“The results of this voucher bill are entirely predictable. Children from families who can afford private education could pay less by applying a voucher to their tuition bill. Children from families who cannot afford to pay thousands will remain in public schools that would now face budget shortfalls. It’s actually even worse because private schools can deny admissions to students with disabilities, excluding them entirely from the “choices” vouchers give their fellow students. That makes education opportunity less equal.
“These reverse Robin Hood policies of taking resources and opportunities from lower income families to give to wealthier ones is a non-starter. The high costs of living on the Seacoast are already impacting our seniors, working families and small businesses. New Hampshire Republicans should stop pushing a radical bill that would significantly increase our spending, raise property taxes, and hurt our public schools.
“We are proud of our public schools. On the Seacoast, they are without a doubt, one of the best draws we have to attracting working families to live and work here. I believe Sen. Innis’ support for defunding them and prompting tax increases is an untenable position to hold as our senator. It does not reflect our values or interests.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
New Hampshire is being fiscally responsible rather than jumping on the voucher bandwagon like so many other states that have been captured by the charter lobby. They looked at the research before they committed to vouchers. What they learned is that vouchers have no value, and they are more likely to be used by affluent families that can afford private school tuition anyway. They also did the math and realized they would have to raise taxes or undermine public education with vouchers. The bipartisan conclusion was that they should invest in their public schools. Public schools are a public, community based asset. Other states need representatives that can honestly look at an issue without outside intermediaries eager to buy their vote. The math of privatization does not work. Communities should not willingly disinvest in their own schools.
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If one looks behind the curtain, one sees the (financial) hands of the Koch brothers and their creation, ALEC, the Ameican Legislative Exchange Council. There are other right-wing organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation who also wish to destroy public eduction using vouchers or something as “educational savings accounts.” NH has had numerous people moving to NH who are known as “Free Staters” who are basically Libertarians. Such people abhor taxes and government itself. Most, if not all, follow the mantra of Grover Norquist by irresponsibly signing pledges not to raise taxes and to squeeze government a size where it can be strangled in a bathtub!
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I served a summer internship in New Hampshire when I was in college. I have a great deal of admiration for the Granite State. I am a southerner, but I feel a close kinship with those hard-headed Yankees. When I lived there, NH had neither a sales tax, nor an income tax,yet still managed to provide services, and run a balanced budget. (Their state gas tax,was the highest in the nation).
New Hampshirites are smart, and will not be bamboozled. I think they will take the right course on school choice/vouchers.
I wish them well.
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Wish this pride in public schools were recognized in Indiana where public funds are siphoned to charter schools and vouchers. Our state politicians continue to rob Hoosier schools.
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