Hollis adopts open‑enrollment article limiting outbound transfers to protect district resources

Article 7 — which designates Hollis Primary School and Hollis Upper Elementary School as open‑enrollment schools and sets the percentage of resident pupils permitted to attend open‑enrollment schools outside the district — was debated at length and ultimately approved as written with 0% permitted outbound transfers under the language presented to voters.

Proponents, including the school board, said the measure is a defensive local policy in response to pending state legislation; school leadership argued that under an open‑enrollment regime the sending district could be required to pay a percentage of per‑pupil cost to receiving districts and that a zero percentage protects Hollis taxpayers and capacity. District counsel clarified distinctions between the proposed open‑enrollment statute and existing statutes allowing out‑of‑district placements on the basis of manifest educational hardship (RSA 193‑style provisions), noting that hardship processes remain available to families.

Several residents attempted to amend the article to allow a small percentage (1% or fractional percentages) of outbound transfers; those amendments were defeated after debate. Supporters of limited allowances argued families should retain an option to seek programs not available locally; opponents countered that even a small outbound percentage would shift meaningful dollars out of the district and could undermine local planning. After the assembly rejected amendments, the original Article 7 language (0%) passed on the floor.