The New Hampshire Senate approved its version of the budget which adds about 1 million to Vocational Tuition and Transportation Aid and, $600,000 to Drop Out Assistance.  The Senate funded Catastrophic Aid (at about the same level as this year), and fully funded Building Aid. The Senate extended the moratorium on new construction eligibility for Building Aid for two years.  It also level funded adequacy and restored a small portion of the CHINs (Child in Need of Service) funding.

The NH Senate also approved:

HB 1 and 2 – creating an appropriation that would make up the difference in employer retirement rates to assure that an equivalent of a 25% reduction would occur. The state funds would be made up by an increase in employee contribution from 5-7%.  New teachers that retire at age 60 will not be able collect their pension until age 65.

HB 136 establishing a commission to study youth sports concussions and other concussions received while at school.

HB 542 requiring school districts to adopt a policy allowing an exception to specific course material based on a parent's objection, given an acceptable substitute, with any costs paid by the parent.

HB 429 was defeated.  This bill would have permitted a child 16 years of age or older to withdraw from school.

The NH House approved:

SB 2 (tax cap bill). This legislation allows school districts to adopt the provisions of a tax cap to apply to the budget submitted by the school board.

SB 172 established a performance-based school accountability criteria requiring legislative approval of the ‘common core state standards’.  For adequacy accountability, state assessment instruments will be used to measure academic areas and pupil participation; other available data will be used to measure areas including attendance, graduation rate, and dropout rate.

The House adopted an amended version of SB 183.  It provides additional funds for each third grade pupil who has tested at the proficient level or above in the reading component of the state assessment, with a comparable reduction of funds for each such pupil who does not test at the proficient level in reading.  Both House and Senate versions continue to contain a hold harmless provision ensuring that districts receive the same level of Adequacy funding for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 that they received in FY 2011.

The House eliminated the requirement for the State Board of Education to review all administrative rules related to special education to ensure that such rules only require minimum compliance with the federal IDEA Act.

The House approved SB 82 giving the State Board of Education permanent authority to approve chartered public schools. 

The House adopted CACR 12, and the Senate adopted CACR 14.  Both proposals give the legislature the authority to define education standards and have full discretion to determine the amount of state funding for education.  Disagreement exists over the word “responsibility”.