THIS BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. Thanks to Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s signing of SB295 in June, 10,000 students are walking into classrooms their families chose—not because of a home address or district line, but because parents were empowered with Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). For most, EFAs alone made that choice possible. For others, donors stepped in through the Education Tax Credit (ETC) program to bridge the gap, ensuring finances would not stand in the way of opportunity.
Under the new law, EFAs are available to 10,000 students at all income levels statewide. To protect families already in the program and those with the greatest needs, enrollment is guaranteed for returning students, their siblings, low-income families, and students with disabilities. This ensures the program always serves the most vulnerable children.
These protections are more than policy mechanics; they reflect a belief about what education should be. Education Freedom Accounts were never about labels or sides. They are about children. We owe them more than a system that sorts them by zip code. We owe them the freedom to thrive.
Continue reading on the NH Journal Website.
