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Warner Select Board endorses citizen petition opposing Educational Freedom Account vouchers
Summary
The Warner Select Board voted Jan. 20 to support a citizen’s petition asking town voters to oppose the state Educational Freedom Account voucher program, which petitioners say would divert roughly $631,000 from the regional school district and cost Warner about $123,932.
Charlie Albano, a Warner resident submitting a citizen’s petition, urged the Select Board to support a warrant article opposing New Hampshire’s Educational Freedom Account (EFA) voucher program and described a potential budgetary impact to the Kearsarge Regional School District.
Albano told the board that the EFA diverts state education funding to private and home-schooling expenses and said that the district would lose about $631,000 this year, with Warner’s share estimated at $123,932. He also said the number of EFA students in the district rose from 92 to 173 after eligibility rules were relaxed and that Warner’s EFA enrollment increased from 20 to 33 students. Albano said roughly 100 petition signatures had been gathered and that more were expected before the Feb. 3 filing deadline.
The board discussed the petition and local impact before voting to support it. Chairman Harry Seidel made the motion to support the citizen’s petition; Vice Chair Alfred Hanson seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Hanson YES, Seidel YES and Mike J. Smith YES.
Why it matters: Petition supporters say the EFA redirects state aid away from public schools and will require local taxpayers to make up the difference. If the town votes to place the petition on the warrant, Warner voters will decide at Town Meeting whether to endorse the citizen’s article.
Board members and staff noted procedural next steps: the petition will be finalized and submitted before the statutory deadline for inclusion on the warrant. The board did not adopt any ordinance or budget change; the action recorded is the board’s formal support for placing a citizen’s petition before voters.
