Agency officials propose waiver to let NEK Choice students attend public pre-K in New Hampshire

Janet McLaughlin, deputy commissioner in the Department for Children and Families, told the House Education Committee on April 8 that S.214 would create a targeted waiver to allow Vermont children in NEK Choice School Districts to attend public pre-K programs in New Hampshire communities where they will later attend kindergarten.

McLaughlin said the agencies considered multiple approaches and settled on a waiver because New Hampshire lacks a universal public pre-K structure that Vermont could simply adopt; provider types and program hours vary across the border. "This is something that we've been wanting we've all been wanting to solve for a while," McLaughlin said, describing visits to local leaders and Lancaster School District officials while drafting the proposal.

Officials estimated the number of children affected is small — "maybe, I think the estimate is an average of, 7 children per age cohort" — and argued a waiver would let districts demonstrate how key pre-K requirements are met without imposing a new statewide reporting regime. McLaughlin described the existing pre-K tuition payment for nonpublic programs as about $4,000 for 10 hours of pre-K and noted some New Hampshire programs offer longer hours (for example, a 15-hour Lancaster program), which the waiver could flexibly accommodate.

Agency general counsel Emily Simmons said the drafting team built the waiver and language to minimize new definitions and reporting burdens; she offered to walk committee members through specific word choices as needed. Committee members asked clarifying questions about private providers and payment flows; presenters said tuition payments would continue to be managed through the supervisory union in current arrangements.

The committee paused to move on to other agenda items after the presentation; no vote was taken on S.214 during this session.