Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council schedules public hearing on school open-enrollment policy as board flags funding and special-education concerns
Summary
The Portsmouth School Board asked the city council to adopt a cautious policy that would take effect only if the state enacts mandatory open enrollment; board members flagged unresolved issues including special-education funding, athletics eligibility and potential budgetary impacts.
Representatives of the Portsmouth School Board asked the City Council on May 4 to schedule a public hearing on a draft open-enrollment policy that the board would use as an "insurance policy" if the state enacts mandatory open enrollment. School officials said current legislative drafts leave many questions unanswered, including how special-education services would be funded for students who transfer and how tuition formulas might apply to specialized programs such as Robert J. Listister Academy.
The board explained it favors a cautious, limited approach to ensure budgetary planning and continuity of services. "We don’t know how special education would be paid for," one board speaker said, noting divergent funding mechanisms have been discussed at the state level and that some permutations could reduce local per-pupil revenue.
After discussion council scheduled a public hearing on the proposed open-enrollment policy for the May 18, 2026 meeting.
