NH 2009 Legislative Session

Legislative Responses to the NH Supreme Court's Claremont decisions

last updated 12/03/08 at 3:00 PM

The 1997 NH Supreme Court Claremont decision requires the legislature to define an adequate education, determine its cost, fund it entirely with state funds, and monitor districts to see that students are receiving an adequate education.

• In 2007, the legislature defined an adequate education as the education provided by a school that meets the minimum standards for public school approval and set up a committe to determine the cost of that education.
• HB927
• Over the summer of 2007, a committee proposed a formula for determining a base per-pupil cost, as well as ways to provide supplemental funding to districts with unusual costs.
• Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Costing an Education - Final Report
• In 2008, the legislature appointed a committee to study how it might hold schools accountable for delivering an adequate education
• SB539
• Over the summer of 2008, a committee proposed mechanisms for monitoring school performance
• Joint Committee on Accountability for an Adequate Education - Final Report
• [In 2009, there are several bills that propose ways of holding schools accountable. The one that implements the recommendations of the report is LSR #0714.]
  
• In 2009, in the middle of a severe recession, the legislature needs to find an additional $150 million to fund its determination of the cost of an adequate education.