Children should receive equivalent education no matter where they live

I am running to become your State Representative in Merrimack District 26 (Franklin Ward 3, Northfield, Loudon, Canterbury and Boscawen).

As a NH native, small business owner and longtime community volunteer, I have seen first-hand the burden on local towns and cities that downshifting expenses from the State to local government has caused. The area taking the hardest hit is education with millions of dollars of revenue being cut from local school budgets and the State leaving local tax payers in property poor towns with ever increasing local tax rates. This disparity in taxes means rich towns have low tax rates with great educational opportunities while property poor towns, like Franklin, Northfield and Boscawen, have high tax rates with fewer electives.

The answer to this problem lies in the State fully funding the actual cost of education in each town. Not all towns have the same property value, but that does not mean that all children should not receive an equivalent education no matter where they live.

In the Legislature in 2013-14, I worked collaboratively with my colleagues on both sides to present legislation (RSA 110-D) to deal with some of the disparities in our education system by creating an Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children so no matter how many times children moved there would be supports in place so they could graduate on time.

It is time to confront our education inequity and funding issues and resolve them. Vote Carey for common sense leadership, collaboration and positive results for local schools and communities in the NH State House.

Lorrie Carey

Boscawen