Henniker board warns state open-enrollment change could shift costs to local taxpayers

Board members at the Henniker School District meeting said a pending legislative move to expand open enrollment appears likely to reach a vote in Concord soon and expressed concern about funding.

A board speaker told attendees the legislature is considering language that could effectively allow open enrollment for all schools statewide and warned the district lacks control over that decision. “This is essentially the world’s largest unfunded mandate,” the speaker said, arguing the state should study funding approaches before imposing costs on local taxpayers.

Board members described meetings with state representatives and senators and said they will send a joint letter to the House, the Senate and the governor urging more study and clarity about how such a policy would be funded. Board members noted the district would be responsible for per-pupil costs if students enroll out of district and that special-education needs add further budget uncertainty.

The board emphasized they support the concept of open enrollment in principle but not if it imposes unplanned tax burdens at the local level. They asked district staff and the legislative committee to continue tracking the bill and to report back as more details become available.