New Hampshire’s Underfunding of Public Schools
Be part of the movement to reclaim civic authority in Derry and secure a flourishing future for every resident.
New Hampshire’s true cost to educate a student is about $20,060, yet the state’s base adequacy payment is only $4,100 per pupil — a glaring shortfall that forces towns to shoulder the burden of a robust public education. Even counting supplemental aid (about $4,725 per student), the state covers roughly 23–24% of the real cost. That leaves Derry homeowners to finance the remaining ~76% — an unsustainable strain on families and local budgets.
Why is it untenable?
Municipal obligations aren’t optional. Derry is bound by negotiated contracts with teachers, custodial staff, and other essential employees that require annual wage increases. Healthcare premiums, utilities, transportation, special education, and building maintenance all escalate year after year. With global instability and volatile energy markets pushing heating and cooling costs upward, school budgets are pressured continually — not temporarily.
Towns are not profligate — we’re underfunded
You’ll hear partisan attacks blaming local governments and vilifying educators as lazy. As the spouse of a former teacher, I know that narrative is false and corrosive. Teachers are undercompensated for demanding, mission-driven work: long days, evenings grading and planning, and often second jobs to make ends meet. During the school year, many teachers are on duty 12+ hour days — invested, exhausted, and committed to our children’s futures.
The Republicans moved the goal post and declared what they give towns is “Adequate”
After the Claremont decisions found the state’s funding insufficient, legislators in Concord redefined “adequate” instead of fixing the funding gap, passing HB1815 and SB659 to lower the floor, by changing the meaning of “adequate”. This legislative sleight-of-hand shifts responsibility onto property taxpayers rather than solving the root problem.
Plenty of tax cuts, just none for us!
Lawmakers boast about tax cuts — but who reaps the rewards? Changes like eliminating the Interest & Dividend tax mostly benefit the affluent. To owe that tax, a resident would need roughly $53,333 in a savings account at 4.5% APY or about $50,000 in a non-retirement stock portfolio yielding ~5% — thresholds many Derry families never approach. That policy alone cost the state nearly $150 million per year; other business tax cuts shaved off another ~$200 million in 2025. The result: revenue shortfalls that property owners must make up through higher local levies
Make corporations pay their fair share
Some warn that higher business taxes will drive companies away — yet neighboring New England states maintain stronger revenue systems without mass corporate exodus. Corporations benefit from public infrastructure and a prepared workforce; it is reasonable to expect them to contribute equitably. Better-funded public schools reduce employer training costs and strengthen local economies.
Take back the power
We can choose a different path: demand honest funding, hold state leaders accountable for equitable revenue policy, and stop forcing working families to shoulder what should be a shared public responsibility. Join the effort to restore fiscal justice in Derry — for our children, our neighbors, and our future.