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Committee hears competing proposals for catastrophic aid, Education Trust Fund and ‘swept’ property-tax reform
Summary
Lawmakers considered several bills aimed at easing catastrophic special-education costs and at reforming the statewide education property tax (SWEP), with municipal leaders warning against requiring towns to turn SWEP excess back to Concord.
Committee members took up several related measures that would change how New Hampshire pays for very high-cost special-education students and how the statewide education property tax (commonly called “SWEP”) is collected and used.
Catastrophic aid (the high-cost reimbursement that used to be called Cat Aid) drew an initial hearing when Rep. Rick Ladd presented HB 717 to adjust thresholds and reimbursement formulas. Ladd and other speakers warned that current catastrophic-aid appropriations lag real claims: the committee heard that catastrophic reimbursements were being prorated (witnesses cited proration near two-thirds) and that a roughly $17 million shortfall had been identified in recent years. Ladd said changing the threshold and addressing proration were part of needed fixes, and that the bill provided a vehicle for continuing committee…
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