Bruce Jenket: Downward trend of educational proficiency is NH problem

To The Daily Sun,

Does the education of our children matter to readers? Even if their children are grown and on their own, did they get the education necessary for a happy and productive life? Or are they still living at home or struggling to make ends meet? A good education is what puts our children on a path to success. Lack of a good education does the opposite.

I have called out many “opinion” contributors over the years for submitting misinformation to The Laconia Daily Sun readers only to be met with silence. I’ve run for Moultonborough School Board the last two years and lost. I’ll do it again, if only to hammer home that our schools are failing our kids.

To be clear, that is an opinion, but based on facts. Here are the two key metrics. Between 2011 and 2025, Moultonborough’s English Language Art proficiency has dropped from approximately 82% to 58%. Math proficiency has dropped from approximately 65% to 42%. The latest proficiencies can be found in the New Hampshire Department of Education: tinyurl.com/4783r3cw.

To be clear, this is not just a Moultonborough problem, it is a state problem. Despite their decreasing proficiencies, Moultonborough is consistent with the NH state averages which have been going down at the same rate. The above link can be used to check the proficiencies of any school in NH. Just click on “Data Reports,” then “iReport” and select the town's school from a pulldown menu. Here are the proficiencies for the Laconia district: ELA 45%, math 31%. Laconia is in the bottom 25% of schools in NH in all categories.

So, what are they doing about it? Or maybe I should ask, what are readers doing about it? Every town has a school board that is elected by town residents. If they elect board members that choose to ignore the problem, it’s on them. The other option is to get involved by running for school board. The school board is not responsible for increasing proficiencies or generating a budget. That is the school superintendent’s full-time job. The school board’s responsibility is to hold him accountable. If they aren’t, then they need to be replaced with members that will.

The purpose of this letter is to “seek truth and print it." If my numbers are wrong, call me out on it, but provide the source to back it up.

Here are the proficiencies for the Hanover district. ELA 81% and math 79%. So, school board members tempted to say their proficiencies are just fine, maybe they should think again.

I’ll close with a quote I learned years ago. “The hardest part of any recovery is to commit. Once you commit the rest is easy.” School boards across the state must acknowledge there is a proficiency problem. Then identify the cause and correct. Until that happens mediocracy will continue. I invite anyone to debate this issue. My email is bjenket@gmail.com.

Bruce Jenket

Moultonborough