Bartlett Center urges market options in K–12: proponents say choice improves outcomes, critics warn of oversight needs

Andrew Klein, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, presented the committee the center’s view that K–12 education should operate more like a marketplace where parents can choose providers and thereby drive improvements across districts.

Klein described studies cited by the center and other researchers showing that when parents can move public dollars to other public or private options, district schools respond; he cited research (and a recent Progressive Policy Institute study) that found school districts with substantial charter or choice penetration sometimes see improved outcomes for students who remain in the public system. Klein argued the state’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) structure — which vets purchases closely — and proposals for wider open enrollment or ESAs would give parents choices and create accountability.

Committee members asked about transparency and oversight. Klein said New Hampshire’s current EFA program requires item‑level vetting of purchases and that the state’s implementation includes stronger oversight than many other states’ programs. Critics on the panel asked whether local school boards’ authority and community governance would be weakened and how public spending rules would adapt. Klein and other presenters said many designs allow district public‑school enrollment options and preserve local governance for taxpayers while giving families choices.

Ending: the Bartlett Center urged Ways and Means to consider market‑based options as part of a suite of reforms to improve educational outcomes and help workforce recruitment by making communities more attractive to families; he offered to provide comparative policy studies and program models for committee review.