New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project (NHSFFP) fully supports the plaintiffs who brought the school funding lawsuit against the state yesterday and their desire to be taxed fairly at a uniform rate in compliance with previous rulings by the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

NHSFFP is not a party to the suit, but will work to amplify the message of the plaintiffs while continuing its work of educating the public on the impact of New Hampshire’s school funding system on students and taxpayers.

“The heavy reliance on dramatically varying local tax rates to fund what should be the State’s responsibility to provide public education is unconstitutional,” said Zack Sheehan, Project Director at NHSFFP. “The State of New Hampshire has continued to fail to fulfil its constitutional obligation to fund an adequate education for all students in the Granite State in the decades since the Claremont decisions, instead downshifting the burden onto local property tax payers across the state. I hope this new lawsuit helps shine a light on these deep inequities, and ultimately result in the state assuming responsibility for funding our public education system.”

78.6 percent of New Hampshire students live in cities and towns with below average property value per pupil, communities which need to levy higher property taxes on their residents to pay for education. In tandem with the ongoing ConVal lawsuit, this filing should help New Hampshire taxpayers finally get relief from the state’s failure to fund an adequate education and tax Granite Staters in a uniform way in the process.

To read a copy of the filing, and learn more about the impact of school funding on students and taxpayers, please visit our website at https://fairfundingnh.org/lawsuit

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As a disclosure, John Tobin, one of the lawyers filing this suit, is a member of the NHSFFP Board of Directors. However, he is not bringing this suit in his capacity as a member of our board, and NHSFFP is not a plaintiff in this suit.

The mission of the NHSFFP, a registered 501(c)(3), is to inform the public about the condition of New Hampshire public schools and their funding; to advocate for changes to make the system more equitable for students and taxpayers alike; and, if necessary, to prosecute, manage, control, and/or participate in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the system for funding education in New Hampshire.

Since 2019, NHSFFP has been deeply engaged in policy debates over the system New Hampshire uses to fund its public schools. Board members, volunteers, and staff have engaged thousands of Granite Staters through over 100 “School Funding and Property Taxes” presentations in over 50 communities around the state.

For all press inquiries, please contact Noah Telerski at ntelerski@fairfundingnh.org