GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org

It’s time to get a little honest about the state’s new Education Freedom Account program and who benefits from the state’s use of tax dollars.

The program was marketed as a way to provide the best educational model for individual students outside the public school system.

Under this program, the state will pay aid that would have been paid to public schools, and parents and students can use that money for alternative programs that best suit their students.

Public schools will continue to receive state subsidies for three years, which will be reduced from 75% to 25%.

Initially, there were few guardrails over who could participate, how money would be spent, special education and other federal requirements, discrimination and privacy protections, but the final product addressed most of these issues. , there were not so many. It was expected — and passed last year in his two-year budget package for the state, which may not have passed as a stand-alone program.

School board member Frank Edelblut, a major proponent of the program, told lawmakers last year that it would cost about $130,000 in the first year and about $3.3 million in the second.

Instead, in its first year, the state’s obligation was more than $8 million to serve about 1,500 students, far exceeding Edelblatt’s expectations.

And instead of leaving public school to participate in one of the most extensive voucher programs in the country, approximately 90% of participating students attended private or religious schools, or homeschooling or other non-public programs.

This means the state has added an additional $8 million in obligations to the Education Trust Fund burden. The Education Trust Fund has, until recently, always been in the red, requiring General Fund funds to pay for state education aid bills.

State obligations increased this fiscal year.

The Ministry of Education issued a news release on Friday showing that the number of participants in the program has doubled in its second year.

The program grew from 1,572 students last year to 3,025 students this year, an increase of 1,463 students.

The additional students bring the state’s tax liability to $14.7 million this year, bringing the two-year total to about $23 million, well over $3.4 million.

In a press release, Edelblut said about 400 (perhaps less) of the 1,463 students this year were public school students last year, 27% of new entrants.

His list of public school graduates shows that in the first two years, 694 students graduated from public schools to participate in the program. It also includes an additional 272 of his students who graduated from public school in the 2019-2020 school year because of COVID-19. Going back 10 years, it includes 294 of his students who graduated from public schools through the Education Tax Credit Scholarship Program launched in 2012.

The total number of students graduating from public schools is 1,260 or 42%.

The honest total of students participating in the Education Accounts Program in public schools is 694, or 23%.

Using either Edelblut’s figure of 27% or 23%, 3 out of 4 students never left public school to participate in the program.

Three-quarters of the $23 million over two years is a new state mandate not budgeted for the two-year budget that included EFA in the budget footnote bill.

In a press release, Edelblut said: Tailored to your individual learning needs. ”

This is a little dishonest on two counts. Because 75% of his students had already followed the “best educational path” before the program started. And less than half of students were considered economically disadvantaged using free and discounted programs under the state educational aid system. Lunch started.

According to information provided by Edelblut, 1,521 participants are not eligible for free or reduced lunches, while 1,504 students are below the poverty level and are eligible.

Of the 3,025 students, 187 students, or 0.6%, are eligible for special education assistance, and only 10 students use English as a second language.

Also, only 3 students are not literate enough at the 3rd grade level.

The majority of EFA students (82%) are white, lower than the statewide average of 93%, and the second largest population, 7%, is Hispanic or Latino, higher than the state average of 2% .

Black students make up 5% of students in EFA programs, compared to a statewide average of 1%.

EFA students make up 1.9% of the state’s students.

“If 3,025 all-eligible students attended traditional public schools, it would cost taxpayers about $65 million,” Edelblatt said in a press release.

He derives the figure of $64.7 million using the statewide average cost per student of $21,386 for all 3,025 students.

However, three-quarters of students were not in public school during the last two grades of participation in the program, so students who attended public school prior to participating in the EFA program cost taxpayers $15.5 million. reduce to dollars.

The state will also pay schools three-quarters of what it would have paid to help students who lost a student this year, so the savings are even smaller than those of state taxpayers.

Many students and parents who participate in this program enjoy being able to tailor educational opportunities for their students and appreciate the openness the program offers to their children.

Students testified at this year’s public hearings how the program has helped many talk about the new technology available and ways to have fun outside of the classroom.

And some said they finally found a program that would challenge them and give them room to be themselves.

While the program is a godsend for many, advocates need to be honest about what’s really going on, most of which use state tax dollars to fund private and religious schools and homeschool programs. are paying the cost of A suitable educational environment.

The information provided by the Education Department does not indicate where EFA funds are being spent.

During the first year of the program, most of the money was used to pay tuition fees for religious schools, and there is no reason to believe that has changed.

So perhaps the name of the program should be either “Religious/Private School Relief Acts” or “Grief That Keeps Giving”, to be honest.

Cheer up your kids and let the citizens of your state see where their money is spent and how well their tax dollars are spent. That’s accountability, and this program has fallen short of that standard from the start.

Garry Rayno can be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.

Distant Dome by veteran journalist Garry Rayno explores a wider perspective on InDepthNH.org’s Capitol and state affairs. In his 30-year career, Leino covered the NH State House for New Hampshire Union Leaders and Fosters his Daily Democrats. During his career, his coverage has ranged from local planning, schools, and select boards to national issues such as deregulation of the electrical industry and presidential primaries. Leino lives with his wife Carolyn in New London.