Linda Burnap: Taxpayer dollars are intended to fund public education

To The Daily Sun,

The voucher program is draining public schools and taxpayers wallets. HB 1268 and SB 295 are depleting public school funds by $51.6 million this school year. The program was expanded in 2026-27 by 25% and with “double dipping” HB 1817, the costs to the state's Education Trust Fund will reach $100 million. By voting for this bill, lawmakers are telling us they know what they're doing and just don’t care.

Taxpayer dollars are meant to fund public education, and schools are saddled with all those responsibilities. Schools still have to educate every student, maintain facilities, buy insurance, and meet standard testing mandates, plus they are accountable to the voters, even as funding is diverted to vouchers.

The voucher program subsidizes private and/or religious choices with few rules, minimal accountability or oversight and are under no obligation to open their doors to everyone, just whomever they choose. HB 1817 also allows voucher recipients to siphon public school resources by participating in classes and activities already funded for public school students — effectively “double dipping” on taxpayer dollars.

Here’s the part that should infuriate voters: the same lawmakers that are generously handing out money in this voucher program that operates under almost no transparency or accountability, demand public schools be held to strict standards, open meetings, public audits — they also want stiff penalties for anything they deem improper. That’s in the face, hypocrisy pure, plain, and simple.

Lawmakers own this unsustainable situation. They have broken the public trust to serve us, protect us, and our communities, but most importantly protect the generations that come after us.

We're watching for lawmakers to try to hide their voting record in November, but they'll be called out. Voters will be reminded of exactly who voted to drain public schools, weaken accountability, and stick taxpayers with the bill.

Linda Burnap

Wolfeboro