NH School Scoop - June 24, 2025

Federal funding to NH come through, it looks like the bell-to bell cellphone ban is a lock, and 2,000 more families sign up for EFAs.

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💰 Here’s good news: NHED announced this week that the state has received its federal formula grant disbursement. The levels appear similar to those of previous years, and in some cases, higher. Educators have been worried about federal funding being cut amid the Trump administration’s desire to deconstruct the US Department of Education. Deb Howes, president of the American Federation of Teachers of New Hampshire, and Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut expressed joy at the news.

📊 There’s little NH legislation left for the season…except for the budget. At press time, Governor Ayotte is threatening to veto the budget brokered by the New Hampshire House and Senate unless she’s comfortable with the results.

• One of the areas of the budget bill that Ayotte opposes is the odd possibility of the Manchester School District losing $10 million in this budget bill.

• However, an element that is making Ayotte happy is the likely passage of the “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban, which was previously in jeopardy after some Republican lawmakers wanted students to have access to their cell phones in the event of an emergency.

• NEA-NH has conducted its usual expert review of what is and is not in the budget bill.

• Additionally, students have their own perspectives on budget cuts.

📝 Just a week after New Hampshire legislation eliminated the income eligibility cap for Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs), 2,000 new students have already applied. The program administrator predicts an enrollment of 8,500 students, which would cost the state $45 million. The average family applying would receive at least $4,265 per child in state money to use toward private school tuition or educational expenses. (Thanks to the Concord Monitor)

📱Meanwhile, the national debate around the dangers of adolescent cellphone use is heating up:

• In a Seton Hall study, over 120 researchers from 11 disciplines concluded, among other findings, that heavy smartphone and social media use can cause sleep and attention problems as well as behavioral addiction. Also, among girls, social media use may be associated with body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, and exposure to mental disorders.

• Cal Newport analyzes and provides commentary on this Seton Hall “consensus statement.”

• Another critical report was released showing that in a study of over 4,000 US adolescents, mental health concerns were present in a large percentage of teens who had addictive screen use.

• Our neighbor to the south may be implementing a school cellphone ban by September.

🏅 Extra Credit:

• Lisa Walker, the outgoing Superintendent in Grantham, is becoming an EMT after 30 years in public education.

• Congratulations to several New Hampshire individuals related to our field who were selected as part of the Leadership New Hampshire class of 2026:

  • Kim Varney Chandler, School Counselor at the Fall Mountain Regional High School;

  • Erin Dallas-Patch, Director of People Operations for Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities in Keene;

  • Chrissy Vander Hook, Senior Program Director in the Bureau of Career Development, NH Department of Education (NHED); and

  • Bill Hickey, President of the HL Turner Group, a firm specializing in school building construction and renovation. (And a shout out to spouse Martha Hickey, long-time acclaimed Henniker and Bow educator.)

• Remember when several Bow residents wore armbands to protest the participation of a transgender Plymouth soccer player during a game against Bow, only to be asked to leave by school officials? District Court Judge Steve McAuliffe sided with the Bow administrators, but the protesters are now taking their case to a federal appeals court. Their attorneys argue that Judge McAuliffe misapplied the broad authority typically granted to school officials, contending that this situation was fundamentally an adult matter rather than a student issue. (Thanks to the Concord Monitor)

• Loss of child health care, food assistance, and tax benefits are all possible with the passage of the federal “Big Beautiful Bill.”

• Dr. Nate Greene, NHED’s Administrator of Assessment and Accountability, has convened a new “State Accountability Task Force,” with recommendations due to the legislature a year from now.

• Surely, many NH districts are struggling with underachievement in literacy but this week, Berlin Elementary School earned the spotlight. The concern at the school centers on faculty using Fountas and Pinnell materials for literacy instruction rather than adopting a science of reading approach.

• I am five days late with this one, but save it for next year: The renowned American historian Heather Cox Richardson explains the history of “Juneteenth.”

• It’s not an easy time to be a trans kid in the US.

• Job Corps has been a positive option for NH students graduating from high school. Federal cuts may be eliminating that alternative for our kids.

• A new public charter school, Granite Valley Preparatory, will be setting up shop in Keene State College (KSC) classrooms before its eventual move to Blake House, owned by the college. KSC President Melinda Treadwell announced this move in an email to faculty on June 10.

• This has little to do with education, but I know many of you find this fascinating: Writer, farmer, and NH scholar Steve Taylor developed this list of the 100 Things You Should Do To Know the Real New Hampshire back in 1995 and updated it this month. (Thanks to Daybreak)

👩‍🎓 Student Wins:

• Antrim’s Elementary School Principal, Beth Gibney, and her staff implemented a new sneaker program for every student last week. Knowing that many of her students’ families are struggling financially, she reached out nationwide to companies that would be willing to donate high-quality sneakers from brands such as Adidas, Nike, and Puma. Ahead of time, the school cleverly measured every student’s feet, claiming that they were part of a project showing how much each boy and girl grows during the year. Needless to say, students and their families were thrilled. (Thanks to the Monadnock Ledger Transcript)

• Congratulations to the students at Auburn Village School who raised more than $1,000 to support the local food pantry.

• Kudos to Concord’s Abbot-Downing Elementary School physical education teacher, Patrick Casey, for his P.E. bike program in cooperation with the Central New Hampshire Bicycle Coalition. (Thanks to the Concord Monitor)

• There are scores of citizens who make a difference for our schools, and rarely do we know their names. Get to know this dedicated Laconia family.

📖 Picks of the Week:

Autism is often misunderstood and unfairly vilified. Comments by RFK Jr. have added to the confusion, and while perhaps well-intentioned, they were made with little knowledge of those who are diagnosed with autism. Modern media has generally failed to depict autistic individuals accurately, but the new UK streaming crime show Patience gets a bit closer to the truth. Patience is the name of the lead character, who is on the autism spectrum (as a character and in “real life”), and her investigative quirks and talents are on full display. The show (shown in the US on PBS) is not perfect and leans on some stereotyping, but Patience provides a solid education for the neurotypical and uninformed. Let me know what you think of the show, and I’ll put your comments in an upcoming Scoop.

RAND researchers found that nearly half of secondary students struggle to stay engaged during math class, reporting a loss of interest in the lesson at least half the time. But there’s more to the story. What do students say they want from math instruction? And who are the students most likely to stay engaged?