N.H. Funding Debate Comes Down to the Wire

By Mary Ann Zehr

With a court-imposed deadline bearing down on them, New Hampshire legislators last week were still squabbling over the best way to fix the state's school finance system.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in December 1997 that the current system of paying for education with local property taxes was inequitable--and unconstitutional--and ordered the legislature to fix the problem by April 1 of this year. ( "N.H. Lawmakers Still Seeking School Finance Solution," Nov. 25, 1998.)

If the legislature fails to meet that deadline, education groups say, all schools in the state technically would be required to fire by April 15 every professional school employee. Employees would then have to reapply for their jobs after the issue was settled. And school officials could not promise job renewals without a sure source of funding for public schools,...