Rep Ames: Voucher damage underestimated

Representative Dick Ames submitted this letter to the Concord Monitor:

For many children taking advantage of Senate Bill 193, the cost to a school district will be about $5,100 per child, not the $3,400 cited in Wednesday’s editorial. This is because SB 193 transfers “90 percent of the per pupil adequate education grant amount pursuant to RSA 198:40-a, plus any differentiated aid.” Differentiated aid is significant for many children, especially for the roughly 50,000 children eligible for the free or reduced price lunch program. For those children, the approximate 90 percent state grant required by SB 193 is $3,400 plus $1,700 for a total of $5,100. Thus, the impact on a public school of this $5,100 loss of state aid per child transferring to a private school will be much worse than that described in your editorial if SB 193 is enacted.

Read the full letter here.