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Committee advances pre-K cross-border tuition arrangement for geographically isolated students
Summary
Senate Finance advanced S214 to allow the NEK Choice district to pay tuition to nearby New Hampshire public pre-K programs for eligible students; Joint Fiscal Office estimated up to 14 students could enroll, with an estimated FY2028 cost of about $60,000 to the education fund.
Senate Finance moved S214 favorably after staff described a narrowly targeted change allowing the NEK Choice school district to pay tuition for eligible prekindergarten students to participating New Hampshire public pre-K programs located within 25 miles of Vermont's border.
Legislative counsel explained the amendment inserts a new subsection to Title 16, §829 — the state pre-K statute — authorizing the Essex North Supervisory Union to administer enrollment and tuition payments and permitting waivers from certain state rules where substantially equivalent provisions exist. The change would take effect July 1, 2025, as written in the draft presented to the committee.
Joint Fiscal Office staff told lawmakers the estimated maximum enrollment affected by the change is about 14 students and that the fiscal impact in the education fund could be approximately $60,000 beginning in FY2028. Staff emphasized the estimate assumed full take-up and that actual costs could be lower because families must elect to enroll their children in participating programs.
Committee members asked clarification questions about cross-state regulatory differences and whether New Hampshire providers would accept tuition under Vermont rules. Staff said the language was crafted in consultation with the Agency of Education and the Agency of Human Services; a waiver process is included for impractical rule provisions.
The committee voted to report the bill favorably to the floor.
