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ConVal board hears legal briefing on open enrollment and its local fiscal implications
Summary
At a Dec. 3 meeting, attorney Dean Eckert briefed the Contoocook Valley School District board on open‑enrollment law (RSA 194‑D), explaining how one district’s decision can trigger 80% tuition obligations, affect special‑education costs and require capacity and admission rules; the board was urged to study inflow/outflow and budget implications before acting.
Dean Eckert, an attorney with Wadley, Starr & Peters, told the Contoocook Valley School District board on Dec. 3 that open enrollment is a "hot topic" in New Hampshire and described how the law works under RSA 194‑D. He told the board that the statute (and recent court decisions) let a single district’s declaration of open enrollment have cascading effects on neighboring districts — notably a requirement that sending districts pay 80% of their average per‑pupil cost for students admitted elsewhere.
Eckert outlined the range of enrollment pathways that already exist — best‑interest reassignment, manifest educational hardship, tuition and area agreements, education freedom accounts (EFAs) and CTE access — and said open enrollment overlays those options. He warned…
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