We need your help to get the ESA passed!
Late last night the senate added the ESA text to another bill that the House already approved, HB 1636, a charter school bill. This gives us one more opportunity to have the House and Senate consider Education Savings Accounts!
The entire NH House is expected to meet again next Thursday, May 10th, for the purposes of voting on all bills the senate amended, including the charter school bill that has the ESA language. The House will vote to a) concur, b) non-concur (reject), or c) hold a Committee of Conference to reconcile the different versions.
We need to contact (calls are best) all state representatives, asking them two things:
1) attend Thursday’s session on May 10th and
2) support the Committee of Conference recommendation on HB 1636.
This does not automatically pass the ESA bill; it gives us another chance to put together a version for both bodies to consider. We can’t win if our good reps don’t show up and support the Committee of Conference!
Please call your state reps, asking them to attend on Thursday and support the Committee of Conference on HB 1636.
Hundreds of NH children are counting on us to make this happen. All students, regardless of their zip code and income level, deserve the opportunity for an education that fits their unique needs and goals. In a recent Concord Monitor article, Middleton McGoodwin, the superintendent in the Claremont school district, said, “In truth, today, in NH, a child’s zip code determines their educational opportunities.” ESAs empower our most-vulnerable children with equal opportunities, like their wealthier peers.
New Hampshire has the opportunity to put more options within reach for low-income children with Education Savings Accounts. ESAs are funds that children receive to a designated account that are used for specified educational purposes. Approved uses may include textbooks, online classes, tutoring, testing, AP classes, dual-enrollment courses, private school tuition, homeschool expenses, and other education-related fees. ESAs will benefit the most vulnerable in our communities who otherwise cannot access options. Even if the pilot ESA program can only help a few hundred children, it still makes a big impact on their individual lives.
Please make a difference in the lives of NH children – contact your state representatives today!
For more information about ESAs, read articles here about the financial impact, constitutionality, and other media coverage.
