House advances expansion of Education Freedom Accounts despite calls for audit delay

The New Hampshire House on Thursday approved changes to the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program that remove several prior limits and set a staged enrollment cap, rejecting an amendment that would have delayed expansion pending a comprehensive state audit.

Opponents urged caution. Representative Luno and other critics pointed to an LBA (Legislative Budget Assistant) sample review showing application errors and urged lawmakers to wait for the full audit report before expanding a program that uses public funds to pay for private schooling. "Waiting for the audit results is the least we can do to assure our taxpayer dollars are used wisely," Luno said.

Supporters argued the program provides immediate choices for families and that the committee amendment imposed a structured cap. The adopted amendment set an initial enrollment cap and a formula that increases the cap by 25% if prior-year enrollment exceeds 90% of the cap; the cap also contains priority enrollment categories (current EFA students, siblings, students with disabilities, and lower-income families) that can enroll regardless of the cap. Representative Kate Murray spoke against expanding the voucher program amid strained state finances and noted the bill’s effective cap mechanism can expand toward universal eligibility over time.

A proposed floor amendment to delay expansion until the LBA audit was complete was defeated in a roll call. After subsequent debate the House adopted the committee report as amended. The transcript records extended debate over program costs, vendor reporting and the appropriate role of taxpayer dollars in private education, and multiple roll-call votes on rival floor amendments.