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To: Senators
🏫 Protect our Local Schools: Say NO to HB 771
Dear Senator,
As one of thousands of MomsRising members in New Hampshire, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB 771, a bill that would redirect local school funding to out-of-district schools and deepen inequities in our education system.
On the surface, open enrollment may sound like it gives families more choice by allowing families to choose to send their children to other schools. But in reality, it only works for those who have the time, flexibility and transportation to make it happen. Disadvantaged families, denied this option, would be left behind – especially in rural areas or lower-income communities – while their schools become further under-resourced.
This bill would force school districts to send 80% of their per-pupil funding to another district while still maintaining their own buildings, teachers, and services. That’s a setup for staffing cuts, budget shortfalls, and instability in the very schools most families depend on.
This bill would force school districts to send 80% of their per-pupil funding to another district while still maintaining their own buildings, teachers, and services. That’s a setup for staffing cuts, budget shortfalls, and instability in the very schools most families depend on.
We’ve seen how open enrollment has played out across the country: Underfunded schools close, families are left scrambling, and inequity and division grows. There is too much at stake for some of our most vulnerable communities. New Hampshire’s students deserve better.
Our state has long prided itself on local control and strong community schools. HB 771 undercuts both. Please protect our public schools and vote NO on HB 771.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Why is this important?
Public schools are pillars of our communities. They serve our towns’ kids and help build a brighter future for all our communities. 🌟
But now, the New Hampshire House has passed a bill that will pull resources away from our public schools by allowing open enrollment for public schools. With open enrollment, families can choose to send their children to public schools out-of-district. And who would foot the bill? The local school district.
Yes, this means local property tax dollars would follow students out of town, and be given to a school elsewhere in the state, draining funding from the schools our own communities rely on.
Let’s be clear, open enrollment doesn’t work for everyone. Only families with the time and resources to transport their children across district lines could take advantage of it. For families who can’t? They’re left behind in schools with fewer and fewer resources.
Each public school district in New Hampshire would have to budget for this change, making it harder to plan for staffing, class sizes and services. And in under-resourced communities with disadvantaged and low performing schools, the impacts could be devastating.
Across the nation, open enrollment policies have led to closures of schools and families scrambling to find a new option. 😢
This is NOT the way to strengthen education in the Granite State. Tell lawmakers New Hampshire families want to keep resources and control in their local schools. Tell them to vote NO on HB 771.