There are several legislative committees preparing bills that will be debated beginning in January of 2012.  Business Administrator, Tim Ruehr, and I met with several legislators on December 9, 2011 to review our position on upcoming proposed legislation and to establish a communication connection as a resource for legislators dealing with education-related issues. This is the third year in a row we have invited the state legislators to participate in this important dialogue.

Senators Molly Kelly (District 10) and Robert O’Dell (District 8) as well as Representatives Gladys Johnsen (Keene), Cyndy Chase (Keene), David Meader (Keene), Jane Johnson (Harrisville/Marlborough) and Lucy Weber (Marlow/Nelson) participated in this insightful conversation about education funding issues facing the state that will impact all school districts, including those in SAU 29.

This meeting provided an opportunity for us to use our voice to communicate directly with those who are making the decisions that impact our school districts and students. I spoke to the need for the reinstatement of building aid. In order to provide an adequate education for our students, we must have adequate school buildings. I stressed the importance of moving up the current moratorium on building aid so that building projects can be approved beginning with the 2013 district votes. I shared that in Keene, for example, we will need to invest in life safety upgrades on our elementary buildings in the near future.

Another important component to the conversation about building aid is the need for adequacy aid. Approximately 80% of state aid that comes to schools is in the form of adequacy aid. One concern is that a Constitutional amendment would mean that all aid to fund public education would decline significantly.

I also spoke to the importance of moving forward with the Common Core Standards. New Hampshire is one of 43 states to adopt the Common Core. The Standards have the support of the business community, the military, and higher education as a means to reduce the level of remediation that has become necessary for many students following their secondary education.

The NEA has projected a cut at the federal level to IDEA and Title I funds of 7.8% as a result of the failure of the Joint Commission on Deficit Reduction, better known as the “supercommittee.”  These cuts come on top of major reductions in federal funding primarily from the termination of the ARRA grants and the Education Jobs Bill.