The Cost of an Adequate Education

This is so dishonest. (4.00 / 1)

Legislators should be ashamed to have their names attached.

It follows last year's effort to cut the state's constitutional responsibility in half, hoping that cities and towns would make up the difference.

My own view of a practical compromise:

• Amend the Constitution so that the state must pay at least half of an adequate education for each student
• Explicitly allow the state to target more aid to particular communities for any reason it chooses
• Require school districts to pay the difference, pre-empting the Reagan-era "No unfunded mandates" amendment
• Then develop an HONEST assessment of the cost of adequacy.

This isn't what I would do as Philosopher King. But it just might have a chance of passing.

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by: elwood @ Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 17:26:38 PM CST

I am not for a specific solution (0.00 / 0)

but I am for having the conversation about all solutions take place, when the pledge is dead.

http://www.nhfairtax.org/

Get the issue discussed by having at least 25 people sign this
resolution and bring to your town hall so that there will be a Warrant Article to pass the Resolution at your  Town Meeting

Resolution

We the citizens of this town believe in
a New Hampshire that is just and fair.
The property tax has become unjust and unfair.
State leaders who take a pledge for no new taxes
perpetuate higher and higher property taxes.
We call on our State Representatives, our State Senators
and our Governor to reject the "Pledge",
have an open discussion covering all options,
and adopt a revenue system that
lowers property taxes.

"Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does." Allen Ginsberg

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 20:39:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's a bit more complicated (0.00 / 0)

The Nashua Telegraph had a good article on Tuesday. http://www.nashuatelegraph.com...

as did the Union Leader here

And, if you really want to get upset, read this editorial in the Concord Monitor. http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/p...

Aid can be targeted after the state meets it obligation to pay for an adequate education.

As far as having the state pay only half, what happens if the Republicans regain power and change the definition of adequacy?  

Off to eat my dinner.

"Plus Ça Change, Plus C'est La Même Chose"

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by: NHFlatlander @ Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 20:51:35 PM CST

Adequacy: (0.00 / 0)

As far as having the state pay only half, what happens if the Republicans regain power and change the definition of adequacy?  

That would be an issue whether the state must provide 100%, 80%, or 50% of "adequacy," no?

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by: elwood @ Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 21:09:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

100% is twice as much money as 50% (0.00 / 0)

Of course it would still be an issue, but if there is a constitutional disadvantage of 50%, the effects of a change to the definition would be twice as bad.

The funding of education will always be a political vote. The Reps vote for the plan that is best for their districts...the most pay-out with the least pay-in.  It's unfortunate, but it will continue until the method of funding is changed.  

Although, I support an income tax, my "if I were King" plan would get rid of the dedicated education fund replacing it with general funding education.    The statewide property tax would go into the general fund to be used to help fund all the states services of which education would be just one. This would eliminate the dynamic of donor towns vs poor towns.

"Plus Ça Change, Plus C'est La Même Chose"

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by: NHFlatlander @ Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 09:32:07 AM CST

[ Parent ]

But I am done with Excel picking now. (0.00 / 0)

The Sentinel says the real adequacy number is close to $10,000 per student. So I'm pushing a state commitment of about $5000 2008 dollars.

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by: elwood @ Thu Jan 31, 2008 at 21:48:59 PM CST

LEGISLATIVE COSTING COMMITTEE APPROVES FINAL REPORT (0.00 / 0)

LEGISLATIVE COSTING COMMITTEE APPROVES FINAL REPORT

Report Will Be Reviewed by NH Legislature

CONCORD - The Joint Legislative Committee on Costing an Adequate Education voted today to approve its final report to submit to the New Hampshire Legislature.

The report will be used by legislators when they draft legislation to establish the cost of an adequate education.

Over the course of 18 meetings from August, 2007 to February 1, 2008, the Committee heard testimony and received information from the public, education stakeholders and professionals in education policy and finance.

"I am very pleased with this report. It should lead to a plan that gets money to students who need it the most, and ensures the money gets to where it needs to be by allocating it by school," said Rep. Emma Rous (D-Durham), Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Costing an Adequate Education. "We satisfied the court's guidelines to create a costing methodology based on a definition of adequacy that is constitutional, rational and defensible."

The Committee determined the "universal cost" to be $3,456 per pupil. This cost includes amounts for educator salary and benefits, custodians, technology, facility maintenance, teacher professional development, and transportation.

Out of respect for the long tradition of local control, the Committee recommended that the legislature continue to distribute funding to the school district, but that the amount of adequacy funding should be allocated by school to reflect the individual needs of schools within the district. The committee recommended that costing legislation design a plan to ease any administrative issues associated with this process.

The committee found that students with greater educational needs required additional aid above the universal cost. This "differentiated aid" is needed for three types of situations: 1) English Language Learners, 2) Special Education Students, and 3) Schools with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students.  

The report concluded that an additional amount of $675 per student should be provided for English Language Learning, based upon teacher/student ratios. Special Education student aid amounts would be allocated based on whether students are served mainly in regular classrooms or other settings.

The Committee focused on the impact of a high concentration of economically-disadvantaged  students in a school, as measured by the numbers of student qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch under federal guidelines. As these concentrations of students increase, the Committee determined that schools would need more adequacy funding. Schools with the highest concentration of at-risk students would get up to twice the universal cost. The Committee stressed that these schools need to be accountable for the money they receive to provide additional services.

The report also reaffirmed a previous decision to provide transitional kindergarten assistance to schools that currently do not offer kindergarten.

The costing committee, consisting of five members of the House and five from the Senate, was formed last year following the passage of legislation that adopted a new and more comprehensive definition of an adequate education. The definition formed the foundation of the costing estimates and the next step will be to turn the recommendations of the costing committee into legislation.

"Proposed legislation is being drawn up to make concrete the recommendations in this report and it will include firm parameters for providing aid to schools with a high percentage of economically-disadvantaged students," said Senator Iris Estabrook (D-Durham), co-chairwoman of the costing committee. She said an outline of her proposal should be ready for presentation within the next few weeks. The actual legislation will have to be acted on by the Senate on or before March 20 for consideration by the House this session.


Democrats solve problems, Republicans sit and say no.

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by: Ray Buckley @ Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 13:42:38 PM CST

Could have/should have been resolved years ago (2.00 / 2)

You know exactly what I'm talking about.
Instead we're still short changing education and over-taxing those who can least afford it.  

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by: Burt Cohen @ Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 19:40:17 PM CST