Sen. Long and hunger advocates urge using Medicaid eligibility to better target school funding

Sen. Long (D., Manchester) and New Hampshire Hunger Solutions told the Senate Education Committee that the state school funding formula currently undercounts children living in poverty because it relies on free-and-reduced-price-meal enrollment rather than a Medicaid-based measure.

Sen. Long said a more precise measure "Medicaid eligibility" would ‘‘ensure our funds go where they are needed most while reducing bureaucracy for schools and families.’’ He told the committee that the present formula leaves an estimated 10,500 eligible children out of the count…