Hassan vetoes school choice bill

On Thursday, June 9 Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed HB 1637, a bill that would have allowed public funding for some students’ tuition at private schools.  

HB 1637 specifically allowed small towns without a public school to assign students to a private school instead of a public school in another district.

The bill was inspired by the Croydon School District, which is using education funding to send four students to a private Montessori School.  The Department of Education is suing Croydon over this practice, arguing that it is illegal and unconstitutional for taxpayers to pay for private schools.

Gov. Hassan made a similar argument in her veto message:

“If House Bill 1637 is enacted, public funds would be used to send students to private schools – which are only approved by the Department of Education for attendance and not curriculum, without the same accountability standards as the public schools – violating the requirements of state law and the state Constitution.” 

Supports of HB 1637 – and the Croydon School District – argue that local school districts are better suited than the state Department of Education to determine what schools provide the “adequate education” required by law.

“The goal here is local control of education,” testified Rep. Frank Edelblut, a gubernatorial candidate and sponsor of HB 1637. “We want to make sure the statutes recognize local control and put school boards in charge of the education of the students in that district.” 

Do you think small towns should be allowed to use public funds to pay private school tuition?  Let us know in the comments.