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School funding experts tell Timberlane board state changes — not local cuts — are needed to fix inequities
Summary
Zach Sheehan of the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project told Timberlane Regional School District officials that state policy — not local budget tinkering — must change to address deep disparities driven by the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) and the adequacy formula; pending court rulings could force legislative action.
Zach Sheehan, executive director of the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project, told the Timberlane Regional School Board on Monday that New Hampshire’s system relies heavily on local property taxes and that recent court cases could force the state to shoulder a larger share of K–12 education costs.
Sheehan said state aid makes up a small share of total school revenue while local property taxes provide “over 60%” of school funding in the state. He described SWEPT — the statewide education property tax — as a rate that is set statewide but is currently retained locally, a feature he and litigation plaintiffs are challenging in court. “The state says, ‘here’s your 6 grand,’” Sheehan said, summarizing how the adequacy formula’s per‑student…
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