Legislation recently introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives would universalize the state’s Education Freedom Accounts Program (EFA), an education savings account (ESA) program, for low- and middle-income students, and open the program up to all New Hampshire families.
Access to the EFA Program, launched in 2021, is currently only open to students whose annual household income is below 350 percent of the federal poverty level, which was $105,000 for a family of four in 2023–24. Roughly 4,800 children currently participate in the program, with the average account holding receiving around $4,700. This is significantly below the $20,323 average expenditure per student at New Hampshire’s public schools.
Copious empirical research on school choice programs such as the Education Freedom Account Program makes clear these programs offer families improved access to high-quality schools that meet their children’s unique needs and circumstances, and that these programs improve academic performance and attainment while delivering a quality education at lower cost than traditional public schools.
Additionally, education choice benefits public school students and taxpayers by increasing competition, decreasing segregation, and improving civic values and practices. Research also shows students at private schools are less likely than their public school peers to experience problems such as alcohol abuse, bullying, drug use, fighting, gang activity, racial tension, theft, vandalism, and weapon-based threats. There is also a strong causal link suggesting private school choice programs improve the mental health of participating students.
Not only are education choice programs like ESAs good policy, they are also broadly popular. EdChoice’s Public Opinion Tracker, last updated on January 6, shows 68 percent of all New Hampshire adults and 70 percent of New Hampshire parents with school-aged children are in favor of ESA programs.
Further, a universal ESA program is sorely needed in the Granite State because the state’s public schools are habitually failing New Hampshire’s children. In 2022, only 40 percent of New Hampshire’s public school fourth-graders and 29 percent of eighth-graders tested “proficient” to grade level in mathematics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) examination, colloquially known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” Just 37 percent of fourth-graders and 33 percent of eighth-graders tested “proficient” in reading. Essentially, and embarrassingly, the state’s public schools are failing to educate roughly seven out of 10 New Hampshire children to grade-level proficiency in reading and math by the time they are about to enter high school.
The goal of public education in New Hampshire today and in the years to come should be to allow all parents to choose which schools their children attend, require every school to compete for every student who walks through its doors, and make sure every child has the opportunity to attend a quality school that best fits their unique needs and circumstances. New Hampshire is very close to doing so, and there has not been a time when providing these opportunities has been more urgent and more needed than right now.
Heartland Impact can send an expert to your state to testify or brief your caucus; host an event in your state; or send you further information on a topic. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance! If you have any questions or comments, contact Cameron Sholty, at csholty@heartlandimpact.org or 312/377-4000.
