Marcia Hayward: HB 1300 school tax cap question to be voted on June 4

To The Daily Sun,

On June 4, the New Hampshire House of Representatives will be voting on a variety of bills, one of which is HB 1300. This bill would mandate every town and ward in a city to include a school tax cap question on the general ballot in November.

The Republican rationale for this bill is that it will give voters a direct voice in controlling school property tax growth. This reasoning is bogus. Towns and cities are free to implement a tax cap at any point if they so choose under RSA:325-C and they can do so through the warrant article process.

If a school tax cap gets voted in, it raises many issues such as:

1. The bill separates the tax cap decision from the budget process undermining the school district and town meeting process making it harder for school districts to budget.

2. Then there is HB 751 on open enrollment which mandates that up to 10% of students can enroll out of district and have their tuition paid by the resident district. How does a school district budget for unexpected tuition bills that would put them over the tax cap?

3. Then there is HB 1817 which guarantees a voucher student free access to public school classes and activities. How does a school pay for example, an extra teacher to meet the requests of the voucher students under the tax cap?

4. Then there is HB 1563 which reimburses school districts for lower cost special education cases, but phases out reimbursement for the highest cost special education cases. How is the district going to pay the gap with a tax cap?

Please track taxpayer's state representatives’ votes on these bills.

Let’s support only those representatives who believe in local control, and believe in keeping local dollars in public education.

Marcia Hayward

Laconia