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Department-backed online tutoring program seeks $1 million biennial appropriation; department says current contract costs exceed bill amount
Summary
Senate Bill 117 would provide $1,000,000 for the biennium to continue tutor.com’s statewide on-demand tutoring service; the Department of Education told the committee its current contract costs about $1.6 million per year and that the appropriation as drafted is insufficient without renegotiation or additional funding.
Senate Bill 117 would appropriate $1,000,000 for the biennium to continue an on-demand, statewide tutoring service run by Tutor.com under contract with the New Hampshire Department of Education. Sponsor Sen. Dan Innis said the program — established with federal ESSER ARPA funds — provides 24/7 access to tutoring for students in grades 4–12, adult learners and homeschooled students statewide, and that annual operating costs going forward will be lower than start-up years.
Tutor.com representatives told the committee the company was incorporated in New York in 1999, operates under U.S. law, and that foreign financial investors do not have operational control or access to student data. The vendor said it underwent a federal CFIUS review at acquisition and signs state data-privacy agreements with each participating school. Tutor.com described a two-path access model: (1) district integrations where the service is embedded in school systems and (2) a self-registration portal for nonparticipating students (parental consent required).
New Hampshire school-administrator representatives and several districts said the service is used for homework help and test prep; usage has grown since the program began. Department of Education officials said the tutoring contract’s current annual cost is about $1.6 million per year and that the bill’s proposed $1,000,000 for the biennium (roughly $500,000 per year) would not fully cover the department’s current contract obligations unless costs are renegotiated. The department said the original ESSER funding covered startup and implementation costs.
Committee procedure: the department and vendor answered questions on privacy, procurement and program efficacy. The committee closed the public hearing; later in the meeting senators deferred taking final action on SB 117 to a later date.
