NH School Scoop - June 17, 2025

The struggle over the state budget is intensifying, new Education Commish appointee Caitlin Davis is earning accolades, and check out a tribute to a iconic NH social studies educator.

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💥 Last week was transformative for NH educators and families as reported in the June 10, 2025 Scoop:

• Caitlin Davis was selected as Governor Ayotte’s appointee for NH Commissioner of Education. (See below)

• The Governor signed legislation establishing a “parental bill of rights.”

• Ayotte also removed income caps from NH’s Education Freedom Account voucher program. The program received approximately 500 new applications in the 24 hours following the removal of the cap.

• In the recent Rand v. State of New Hampshire decision, the New Hampshire Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Statewide Education Property Tax (SWEPT). In a 3-1 ruling, the court found that SWEPT is administered at a uniform rate across all towns, even though wealthier towns often collect more than they need for their schools and are allowed to keep the excess.

💵 While the New Hampshire legislative season is wrapping up, the state budget is still undergoing its deliberations. Fortunately, we have the NH Fiscal Policy Institute to provide us with updated information. The decrease in revenue coming into the state, combined with significant new costs resulting from payouts to victims of Youth Development Center abuses, is affecting what the state can afford. NEA-NH weighs in on the educational aspects of the state budget.

📊 The influential Casey Foundation’s 2025 Kids Count Data Book was released, presenting both positive and negative news, but also offering encouraging updates for the Granite State. The study compared student well-being in the US from 2019 to 2025 and found that fewer children are attending preschool, and over 70% of 4th graders are not proficient in math and reading. Good news includes a 13% increase in on-time high school graduation, fewer children living in poverty, and more of their parents maintaining employment. New Hampshire ranked high in low poverty levels and low teen birth rates. NH was mentioned separately for its efforts to lower the number of children in single-parent families and teenage parents between 2019 and 2023. (potential paywall.)

🇺🇸 In an example of how federal decisions are affecting New Hampshire schools, the Mascoma Valley Regional School District is fighting to recover $526,000 in federal funds for ventilation and teacher training. Although the district had previously received an extension, the U.S. Department of Education abruptly ended the spending period on March 28, 2025. It later denied reimbursement, arguing that the projects did not directly mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Thanks to the Valley News.)

🧑‍🏫 Caitlin Davis is expected to become the next New Hampshire Commissioner of Education; the next Executive Council meeting is scheduled for June 25, when she is likely to be confirmed. She currently serves as the Director of Education Analytics and Resources for the Department of Education (NHED), a position she has held for the past eight years. Response to her appointment has been positive:

• A former Superintendent told me that, although not a traditional educator, Davis has learned a great deal working with several commissioners; she is honest, hardworking, and cares deeply about public education.

• A current NHED employee says that Davis is well-respected within the department and has excellent support from colleagues as she takes over the helm.

• Rep. David Luneau of Hopkinton, the minority leader on the House Education Funding committee, told the Concord Monitor that “people on all sides of the aisle really respect the work that she has done and her ability to bridge political differences and really work for a good outcome for New Hampshire kids.”

🏅 Extra Credit:

• From our friends at NHSAA: The NH School Administrators Association is sponsoring a free statewide CIA (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment) session on July 29, 2025 to provide school/district teams with resources, working time, coaching/facilitation, and dialogue regarding implementation of the 306 rules in the upcoming school year. Click here for more information.

• Given the disappearance of most state monies to fund school building construction, many believe it’s a positive development to see improvements and renovations to Hillside and McLaughlin schools in Manchester.

• While the legislative session is nearly complete in Concord, HB 243 is in Conference Committee and will be heard tomorrow. This legislation would impose penalties on those who provide false reports to DCYF concerning abuse. Educators who oppose this bill are concerned that it would produce a chilling effect on those who may want to report abuse. Our friends at Reaching Higher NH explain the Committee of Conference process.

• Congratulations to Benjamin Hill, Principal of Belmont Elementary School, for winning the Stevens Founders Award for Leadership and graduating from the Leadership Lakes Region leadership program.

• The NH State Board of Education has approved a tuition agreement between the Winchester and Hinsdale School Districts. This will allow Winchester students to attend Hinsdale High School beginning in 2026. (Thanks to the Keene Sentinel.)

• As we strive to attract teachers to the state and consider teacher pay, it’s critical to be aware of the latest SmartAsset report, which shows that New Hampshire is the 11th most expensive state to live in. The data measures how much income is needed to live “comfortably” in a specific state. For NH, a family of four needs $259,501. Small consolation comes from knowing that Massachusetts is #1, Connecticut is #3, and Vermont is #5.

• In terms of the NH Supreme Court and education funding, we are still waiting for a decision in the ConVal case.

• New teen drivers need to heed the alarming data regarding driving crashes:

  • 2025 crashes are already outpacing 2024.

  • As of last week, 45 people had died in NH vehicle accidents since the beginning of the year. (Thanks to the Union Leader.)

• NH’s mental health system is essential for children as well as adults. There is a gap for “wraparound” services that include children; unfortunately, children must reach a severe crisis point before they become eligible for many state-funded programs.

• Parents of half-day kindergarten students need not worry about transportation. In her first veto as Governor, Kelly Ayotte denied legislation that would have ended a transportation mandate for half-day programs. (Thanks to the Union Leader)

• The New Hampshire Department of Education has issued a request for applications for school leaders to support high-quality materials in literacy, math, and MTSS. The due date is June 30, and you can apply at this link.

👩‍🎓 Student Wins:

• High schools nearly always celebrate students heading off to a four-year college and publicize the percentage of those who do so. It is also vital that we recognize those heading into military service after graduation. On June 9, the Manchester School District recognized the 12 students heading to the National Guard, Army, Air Force, and Marines.

• Ms. Morin’s 5th-grade class from Elm Street Elementary School visited the Lakeport Village in Laconia a week ago. Not only did the students learn about their local businesses, but they also used the opportunity to see geometry in the world around them.

• Emerson Elementary students will receive a $20,000 grant to replace library books damaged in a February fire. The gift was from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

• Sandwich Central School teacher Emma Dassori is the only Ford’s Theatre Oratory Fellow in New England. Thanks to her expertise, fifth-graders Evan Wholley and Otis Drapcho from her school traveled to Washington, D.C. through the program and delivered speeches along with 18 other student delegates from across the country.

• 12-year-old Arlo Mesinschi from Dover is competing globally with his Lego Boston Tea Party model. He recently won Boston’s 2025 “Mini Master Model Builder” title, and his Lego Boston Tea Party model will be displayed in Boston before it heads to Denmark for the first-ever “Global Mini Master Model Builder” competition, with the winner announced this fall.

• Winnisquam’s top-10 seniors (in terms of grade point average) will be studying a variety of areas after graduation, such as animal science, firefighting, political science, health sciences, pre-dental, public relations, and health science. One grad is heading overseas on a mission trip.

📖 Picks of the Week:

• Redshirting, or starting students a year later in kindergarten to allow “the gift of time,” was a common practice for parents in this editor’s history as a principal. The NY Times just published a detailed and enlightening article on the subject.

• Literacy, mathematics, and STEM are highly emphasized in our schools, and rightly so. Unfortunately, the social sciences often get the short end of the “curriculum stick.” Don’t tell that to these motivated and clever students participating in National History Day.

🤔 Reflections from the Editor

• Mentors shape careers. One of my first was Christa McAuliffe, the Concord High social studies educator who served as my UNH cooperating teacher during my student teaching year in 1983. Once I received my first gig teaching middle school social studies, Christa encouraged me to join the NH Council for the Social Studies Board. There, I met Art Pease, the respected Lebanon High School teacher and department chair, whom I considered the dean of social studies educators in New Hampshire. Although we lost touch for decades, Art recently reconnected with me, and we now regularly discuss New Hampshire education news and history via email. He has generously shared materials with me about my town and Keene State College, where I work. Most recently, he circulated a 1926 article about Lebanon Schools to dozens of colleagues. To learn more about one of NH’s most distinguished teachers, see the Lebanon Times article, “Arthur Pease’s Love For History Endures.” Thank you, Art, for mentoring so many educators over the years.