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Lynch allows $940m school fund plan to become law
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By TOM FAHEY
State House Bureau Chief
Tuesday, Jun. 10, 2008
CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch let a new $940 million school funding plan become law without his signature yesterday.
Lynch said the state needs the new plan, which takes effect a year from now, to meet a June 30 deadline the state Supreme Court set in its last school funding ruling. However, Lynch said he opposes the way it distributes aid that increases by an estimated $43 million over the previous plan.
"This legislation is not my preferred solution," he said in a statement. "I believe New Hampshire should direct more education aid to communities with greater needs. That is not possible, however, under the constraints of the Supreme Court's decisions. It is also clear that, despite our best efforts, there was not sufficient support in the legislature for a bipartisan constitutional amendment that would have allowed us to target school aid."
For the second year in a row the New Hampshire House last month defeated a proposed amendment by a two-to-one margin.
The amendment, CACR 34, would have freed the state from its obligation to distribute the cost of educating every child to every school district before it can begin sending the first dollar of aid targeted to the neediest districts.
►School funding amendment passes House committee
►Compromise reached on school aid amendment language (8)
►House Finance recommends more school funding fix changes (6)
►House panel approves adding $3 million to school aid plan (3)
The plan sets the cost of an adequate education for each child at $3,450. The pricing was done by including the cost of teachers with three-years of experience, and set costs for administrators, staff and other expenses. It allows extra aid to be sent to communities on the basis of other factors such as local property wealth, income levels and the costs of teaching English language learners. It provides aid for all public schools, kindergartens and charter schools.
Sen. Iris Estabrook, D-Durham, who is not seeking reelection, co-chaired a committee that developed much of the new funding plan.
Estabrook said that she knows Lynch prefers an amendment, but until one passes, "We have a collective duty to follow the law as it is." She said the new plan provides "for the basic cost of adequacy for all New Hampshire children, while targeting additional resources to those students and communities most in need -- and it does so in a constitutional manner."
"(Lynch) should have vetoed the bill," said Rep. David Hess, deputy minority leader. "It spends $180 million too much and has absolutely no funding mechanism in there. It's an invitation to broadbased tax."
Speaker of the House Terie Norelli, D-Portsmouth, defended the plan , saying it followed a "very deliberate, well-informed process." She said the work will continue on how to fund aid to compensate communities that need extra financial help.
Senate President Sylvia Larsen, D-Concord, said the plan "is both constitutional and meets the needs of our children." She noted that it allows school districts to plan budgets for two years in advance.
The new law freezes aid at current levels for two years in those towns that would otherwise lose state aid. Those that would receive extra money under the plan have aid increases capped at 15 percent a year for two years.
A separate bill, which provides aid for towns that have yet to put public kindergarten plans in place, blocks a return to donor towns under the funding plan. Lynch opposes the donor town concept that requires towns with high property values to send to Concord state property tax proceeds they don't use on local schools.
Republicans have said the bill is flawed because, while allowing donor towns to keep money and get a lower effective tax rate, it denies poorer towns their full aid level in its first two years.
The law also sets up two study commissions to look at how to improve the funding formula, and to study how to make school districts more accountable to the public.
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YOUR COMMENTS
It's really a population problem isn't it? Too many school age children, no? Why not encourage people to PLAN a SMALL family, not just swing for the fences because they are careless or religious. Personally I'd have parents pay tuition for each child past two or three.
- E Millette, Manchester
@ Brian, Weare. You make a very valid point. If I were to be elected as a representative of the house, I would look towards a reorganization of how the lottery divides it's revenue, first and formost, education would get the biggest piece then we would look at the structure of how we go about maintance of the system. I would also look at the revenue engine that the state recieves from tourism, meals and rooms tax and other revenue to add to the education. Other shares of this would go to a priority list (ie roads, bridges etc), because without those, our economic engine in NH comes down to a crawl. Better management, fiscal responsibility and less polictical postering needs to be addressed first and foremost, regardless of which party you represent. If we are going to keep NH moving forward, then we must work together, all of us, right down to the tax payers to make things work. No sales or income tax will fix this, only we can prevent NH from falling behind.
- Robert M Tarr, Manchester
Gov. Lynch ha sdone the best deed so-far. He just sat back and let everyone else do the dirty work so he can say "It's not my fault" Tax free New Hampshire.
- John, Candia
I've had a goal for the last 25 yrs of retiring in NH because there's no income or sales tax. This lack of spinal integrity on the part of our gov may yet open the door for those things. Why can't our legislature operate like each of us has to at home - cut back spending to meet your income!! Let the special interests hurt a bit and receive less funding.
- Richard, Londonderry
Another waste of time by another useless legislature. Thanks for being a coward too Mr. Governor. The solution is so simple it is pathetic. Use 100 percent of the pre-approved gambling mechanisms already in place to fund education. That is what the scratch tickets and megabuck were for. Stop tapping them for pet projects and problem is solved. No donor towns or receiver towns. Split the profits evenly and make up the diffference through local taxes only. Stop worrying about which party looks good and solve it once and for all.
- brian, weare
Bad plan which is not constitutional if the court remains consistent with its prior decisions. $3,500 is less than 1/2 the cost per pupil for an adequate education. NH needs additional revenue as the retirement system, education, roads, bridges etc.. are all now in dire straights.There is no reasonable way to avoid a new tax absent shutting down state and local governments and the illegal voiding of state pension obligations. What is not respectful is the failure of both parties to be straight with NH voters about the solution to our situation.
- paul_needham, derry nh
I would just add that Governor Lynch also sidestepped the recent debate on another critical fiscal matter -- whether to make adjustments to the existing public pension plan requirements.
We are being spent into a sales or income tax. This cannot possibly be inadvertent.
- Ditmar, Hollis
This is just a cop-out from the King of Administrative Mediocrity. Take a stand and use that spine of yours, will you, Governor? Regardless of where you stand on this issue, it should be very important for you, Governor Lynch, to stand up and be heard. I wonder what a "Governor Josiah Bartlet" would have done with this issue? This is just a sad day for New Hampshire.
- Will, Merrimack
Neil Young,
That's the trouble with people like us.
We refuse to drink the kool-ade,ignore
all the wonderful things big-gov't.
"provides"us,and believe the propaganda
spewed forth by the "extreme right-wing"
Fox News.
At this point,I believe I could feel all warm and fuzzy re being in big trouble.
It would be a better feeling than this grinding sense of DOOM!
Thanks for all you do,Neil.Let's hope it's
not all in vain.
- Mike P., Manchester
It's a little piece of the puzzle in their plan to introduce an income tax. The people who are paying attention to their actions can see it. They will wring their hands and tell us they have no choice.
By letting the bill become law and doing nothing, the Governor approved it. That's all that matters here.
- Stephanie, Wilton
Blame shifting, decision avoiding, manipulative, spineless political idiocy.
We get the government we allow.
What happened to honest, open debate without hidden agendas and carefully crafted deception to win at any cost?
The formula for how many of the people you can fool how much of the time appears to be moving in a hopeless direction. The "experts" have convinced too many of us that we're better off to let them run things while we sit back fat, dumb, and happy enough not to look.
Disgusting.
- Bob, Wilton
So he does not sign it and he can say that he didn't approve it and no one, NO ONE, will take him to task on anything he says. If he did not approve it, why didn't he VETO it?? Because he wouldn't want to make his party look bad in an election year.
The state is now taking more control of our schools and they are mortgaging the funding on top of it. This is a recipe for an income/sales tax. They just won't tell you in an election year because they might lose their POWER.
As for if he was on vacation we would not notice, yes we would. He wouldn't be at all his photo-op public engagements to get his picture all over the media.
He is a poor leader, much like those in his party that have cowed to these legislating Judges. (I include the republicans in this as well) We really do not need the legislature any more, just let the judges do all the legislating.
- Mark, Candia
John from Wolfeboro expressed my feelings.
We lack leadership at both the state and national levels of government.
Did you catch "Porked" hosted by Chris Wallace Sunday evening on FNC?
That was an eye-opener of just how bad it has become with "our" politicians.
Where is that candidate for governor who would have been leading with principle for the past 4 years?
Where have the Republicans been other than for Lynch's first term when they were busy helping the Teflon governor to a second term?
And now Doug Scamman is coming back?
Oh Lord, we are in big trouble!
Niel Young
Laconia
bnyoung@metrocast.net
- Niel Young, Laconia
The Governor has once again not shown any leadership on the school funding issue. He said he was against donor towns, but used none of his political capital and now lets it become law without his signature.
This is a governor that attempts to never do anything that might upset any voter anywhere in the state. In doing this he tales no strong positions and shows no leadership. He is as bland as dry toast.
He wants to be reelected at any cost. The state would not even notice if he were to go on a long vacation and did not tell anyone. It is too bad that we have politicians that care more about reelection then they do about using their office to fix the many problems this state has.
- Stephen Campbell, Salem
Sound's odd to me. An adequetate eduacation for each child cost's $3,450 a year, yet it cost's over $31,00 a year to keep someone in prison. Mainly, drug addict's and violator's of probation, in which case, re-habilitaion facilities would benefit these people more than prison and would be much cheaper. Why waste money on petty charges? Only "real" criminal's belong in prison.
- Dot, Nashua
The "Do-Nothing Governor" strikes again! But, hey...his approval is over 70% so he must be doing an *incredible* job, right?
- William Smith, Manchester, NH
It is too bad Governor Lynch will not have any real competition in the fall. I have voted for him previously but I will not this time. He does not agree with the school funding plan, it spends too much money, but he let it become law without his signatutre? That is not leadership, it is cowardice.
- Tim, Manchester
Typical Lynch leadership - sit back and do nothing. Complain about the bill yet let it become law. If this Governor had any courage to his convictions, he would veto this plan. A constitutional amendment is the ONLY way to solve this problem for the long term yet Lynch was totally incapable of getting one through a house full of people in his own party. So, this bill just kicks the can down the road for the next legislature to wrangle with all over again. If you elect the same people, do you actually expect a different result? Change the Governor an change the legislature. That is "change you can believe in".
- Mark, Amherst
With our school systems sorely taxed with soaring heating bills and soaring costs of fuel to transport students, now we have our "teflon" Governor holding his nose and allowing an incomplete solution to become law. I find it incomprehensible that we have such a void in leadership in Concord that our elected officials cannot craft legislation for our children's education. Shame on all under the capitol dome!
- John LInville, Wolfeboro
We can all appreciate real leadership. THANKS
- Mike, Auburn
Not allowing poorer towns their full aid level in the first two years will drive tax rates up in those places, too high for most who live in those areas. The only area of this law that I find somewhat acceptable is the law that also sets up how to improve the funding formula, and how to make school districts more accountable to the public. Careful planning must be made to not allow such things to be added into this law in the future such as broadbase tax, sales tax or income tax. That is not acceptable or respectful to the taxpayers of NH.
- Robert M Tarr, Manchester
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