NH School Scoop - January 28, 2025

Trump's presidential decisions begin to effect NH education, cellphones in schools face an uncertain future, and EFAs continue to create controversy.

📰 Front Page

💰 Developing Story: Today, the Trump Administration paused all federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance. How this impacts education is unknown now, but schools rely on federal funding for numerous components of their operations. Approximately 11% of US elementary and secondary schools’ budgets come from federal coffers. NH’s own Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary, could not say today if the freeze would include programs that many NH families benefit from, including Meals on Wheels, Head Start programs, and Medicaid.

📱 Progress toward cellphone bans in NH schools is accelerating. The momentum appears bipartisan and is being considered by the legislature, schools, and school boards. The Somersworth District is finding early success with its ban. (potential paywall)

📜 Governmental precedents are changing nationally and right here at home. Mary Kelley, Superintendent of the Bow and Dunbarton School Districts, is facing proposed NH legislation that will essentially fire her from her job. (potential paywall) The objective of the resolution is to circumvent the SAU 67 school board and punish Kelley for her response to the Bow armband controversy.

💰 House Bill 549 would eliminate the possibility of Education Freedom Account (EFA) funding to be used for religious schools. Rep. Timothy Horrigan, D-Durham, testified on his bill this week. The chances of the bill passing are slim, as similar legislation failed in the last session.

🎓 The Trump Administration’s Department of Education continues to chime in on education policy. Protections for LGBTQ+ students are being revoked, and schools could face ICE agents who want to arrest students for immigration crimes. The US Department of Education also dismisses complaints about banned books or literature removed from school libraries. Meanwhile, all USDOE DEI initiatives are being eliminated.

As a side note, the DEI-banning press release from the USDOE does not weigh in on Trump’s directive but links to the national press reporting on the decision.

🎯 Extra Credit:

• It took four years, but Cornish elementary students and adults can now drink regular well water. (potential paywall)

• The American Library Association announces the 2025 Youth Media Award champs, which includes the Caldecott and Newbery Award winners. (Thanks to Prof. Smith of the Keene State College Education Department.)

• Pass this news on to your school nurse: NH has one of the highest respiratory illness rates in the country.

• Surprising but good news: US Higher Education enrollment is up.

• Well-known national blogger and former USDOE official Diane Ravitch wrote about NH education vouchers this week.

• The NH Tech Alliance is opening up their nominations for TechWomen of the Year awards. 2023’s Tech Educator of the Year was Pinkerton Academy’s Christina DiMicelli.

• HB 238FN, or the Right to Work Bill, would prohibit Collective Bargaining Agreements from requiring employees to contribute or join unions. NEA-NH weighs in.

• For years, the Nashua School Board has opened their meetings with a prayer. A new Board member is not crazy about the idea.

• Congrats to five NH educators who have won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

• A tip for school administrators: ensure all your buses have enough seats for the students who ride.

• Here’s a topic that might make it up soon to the Scoop’s Front Page: ICE agents visiting our NH schools.

• Congrats to Ann Forrest for being named the permanent Superintendent of the ConVal School District. (potential paywall)

• Are you hoping for a new Beech Street School in Manchester? You might get your wish. Also, the Concord School Board is moving forward with designs for a new middle school in the current site of Rundlett Middle School. (Thanks to the Concord Monitor)

• Congrats to Nathan Sewade, an 8th grade at Epsom Central School who was named NH’s VFW first-place winner of the Patriots Pen Scholarship. (Thanks to the Union Leader)

• Denise Carter is the interim US Secretary of Education, awaiting Senate approval of Linda McMahon.

• The University of NH System is striving for greater business partnerships.

• Congrats to Lily Woo, the state’s new civic and voter education coordinator. (Thanks to the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript)

• Rindge residents will vote on a petition warrant article to initiate a study on withdrawing from the Jeffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District. (Thanks to the Monadnock Ledger.)

• Upper Valley music teacher Becky Luce died at age 70 last month. She was one of those teachers who changed students’ lives for the better in her nearly five decades of teaching. (Thanks to Daybreak and the Valley News)

• There is so much legislation related to education in Concord currently, but here are a few bills to watch in addition to those mentioned above:

  • SB 101 would allow families to place their children at any school in the state.

  • HB 734, proposed by Hopkinton House Democrat Dave Luneau, would add amendments to the state education property tax and the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program. Luneau is also sponsoring HB 550, which was recently supported by testimony from the Superintendent of Newport.

  • HB 703 would prohibit school districts from denying lunch to a child based on food service debt.

  • HB 520 would extend subpoena power to NH Department of Education officials.

  • HB 237 would prohibit using special education money for anything deemed regular education.

  • HB 71 prohibits the use of a school as shelter or housing for illegal aliens.

  • HB 415 would eliminate the state law that provides free feminine products in our high schools. (potential paywall.)

• If you want to publicize an educational event through the Scoop, please send the info along. We will only promote events sent to us directly. Email to nhschoolscoop@gmail.com.

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