Earlier today, the Commission to Study School Funding approved its final report to the New Hampshire Legislature and to Governor Chris Sununu. In the main, the substance of the Commission’s work – and, in particular, the research conducted on its behalf by the American Institutes for Research – have set a solid foundation on which to build a more fair and more sustainable system for funding New Hampshire’s public schools.

The November 22 draft report of the Commission to Study School Funding reflects considerable progress toward the fulfillment of the Commission’s statutory responsibilities and, more importantly, toward devising a more equitable and sustainable system for funding New Hampshire’s public schools. Nevertheless, five key changes to the draft report could strengthen it significantly prior to the Commission’s final vote on November 30.

For Granite Staters struggling in the face of inequitable educational opportunities and disparate property tax rates, the work of the Commission to Study School Funding to date offers reason for hope, but also cause for concern.