The House Education Committee held a work session on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, to study SB268, “an act raising the age of required attendance of children in school and establishing a 2-year pilot program for increasing vocational education opportunities in the Manchester and Nashua school districts and making an appropriation therefore”. Committee members present were Representatives Stephen L’Heureux, Tim Easson, David Hess, Claire Clarke, and Michael Balboni. Representatives Emma Rous and Clifford Newton made brief appearances. In the audience I recognized Dean Michener, Executive Director for the NH School Boards Association, Sarah Browning of the Office of Legislation and Hearings of the NH DOE, Diane Lachance, a homeschooler, and myself. Reporters from Channel 7 News in Boston and NECN were also present.

Representative L’Heureux handed out to committee members present a very thick pile of papers, a compilation of all the efforts the legislature had made in the last 21 years on this issue, as well as some of the handouts from the governor’s 2006 Summit Conference on Education showing existing student retention and dropout prevention programs, and their associated costs.

The meeting opened with the arrival of Governor Lynch, who, as is his custom, shook the hands of all who were within reach, including members of the audience. After exchanging pleasantries with Rep. L’Heureux, the governor made a statement reiterating his reasons for proposing and supporting SB268. He also added that his next budget proposal would include funds for alternative education programs. Rep L'Heureux responded that he hoped the shortcomings of the bill could be remedied, and that the policy change could be accomplished without affecting homeschoolers. When the governor and his aides left, so did the television reporter and cameraman, and the NECN reporter turned off his audio recorder.

Rep L’Heureux spoke of why he had supported the bill, that times had changed since the current age of compulsory attendance was set, that students as young as 9 were aware that they could drop out at age 16, and that was discouraging them from putting their best efforts into their schoolwork. He urged those present to read the materials handed out, and it was agreed that the handouts should be sent to all members of the HEC. He pointed out that the vote taken on sending a recommendation to the next legislature would be largely ceremonial.

Rep Easson did not like choosing an arbitrary age for compulsory attendance, and he didn’t think that choosing a new arbitrary age would result in any more graduates.

Rep Hess was concerned that since tax dollars were a scarce resource, would spending them in this manner be the most effective use of them. He was also concerned about the additional cost of increasing the age of compulsory attendance from 16 to 18, as he thought there could be an issue with Article 28-A of the NH constitution. He proposed holding another hearing to determine what districts have done to reduce dropout rates, and how much additional money districts have to spend to be successful. There was no support for this idea in the committee; the hearing on this bill had lasted 5½ hours, and it would be difficult to invite representatives of one interest group without inviting them all, which would essentially recreate the original hearing.

Rep Clarke was concerned that at least some of the students dropping out were doing so because they were victims of bullying, and that this legislation forced these students to stay in school without solving the problem.

Rep Balboni said that he had a different vision for education than the one supported by the bill. Rather than coercion, he wanted to see the legislature support freedom and personal responsibility. He had had a chance to travel behind the Iron Curtain, and saw first-hand the results of a coercive education system, and he much preferred a free and open society. He brought to the committee’s attention the 2003 report of a legislative committee to study methods to prevent or reduce the high school dropout rate, mentioning that it did not recommend raising the age of compulsory attendance, and that it recommended individualizing education. He said that the message the students are sending to the legislature by dropping out is that the schools are not meeting their needs. He hoped that the committee would work to create schools that were so useful and interesting that students were reluctant to leave at the end of the day.

The House Education Committee will meet in executive session on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at 10:00 AM, in Room 207 of the Legislative Office Building. At that time, the HEC as a whole will vote on a recommendation regarding SB268.

Respectfully submitted,
Chris Hamilton