SCHOOL CHOICE has caught on rapidly in New Hampshire, which should be no surprise. No state is more distrustful of government than the Granite State. If two bills in the Legislature — one passed by the Senate, the other passed by the House last week — become law, New Hampshire parents and students will have significantly more educational freedom.

Last week the House passed House Bill 76, which would change the way the state funds charter schools. Currently, state money for charter school students goes through the local school districts. This was the basis for the funding controversy that shut down Franklin Charter School last summer, when the local district refused to pass state funds on to the charter school.

HB 76 would have state education funds for charter school students sent directly to the charter school from the state. Cutting out the school district middle man is a great idea and will make it easier for charter schools to get the funding they need and deserve. If this had been the procedure all along, Franklin Charter School probably would still be around.

This important funding change follows the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 131 on Jan. 18. That bill would create an educational scholarship program funded by public and private donations. If it passes the House and is signed by the governor, it would provide a source of funds low-income families could tap to pay for private school tuition.

Both of these bills would further empower parents to choose the schools that best suit their children's needs. And if Gov. John Lynch succeeds in raising the dropout age to 18, these bills could help those would-be dropouts get the education they need while still allowing them to escape the traditional public schools they find so constraining.

This just might be the year that real, widely available school choice takes root in New Hampshire. For our students, few developments could be more positive.

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