Discussion Paper

New Hampshire’s quest for a constitutionally adequate education

Abstract: A September 8, 2006, ruling by the New Hampshire Supreme Court that the Granite State?s current education financing system is unconstitutional was the latest in a long string of court decisions, legislative responses, and subsequent court opinions that have made school funding one of the state?s most contentious issues. In its opinion, the Supreme Court gave New Hampshire lawmakers until July 2007 to define a constitutionally adequate education, implying that legislative failure could lead to a court-mandated system. This report summarizes how the issue of defining and funding an adequate public education reached this point in New Hampshire. It describes key legal findings and other background behind the string of court decisions defining a constitutional educational system. It examines major education funding bills proposed since the 1997 landmark Claremont ruling, assessing whether they would likely meet the state?s constitutional requirements.

Keywords: Public schools - New Hampshire; Education - New Hampshire; State finance - New Hampshire;

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Part of Series: New England Public Policy Center Discussion Paper

Publication Date: 2006

Number: 06-2