Discussion Guide

DiscussionGuide

Reaching Higher NH and NH School Funding Fairness Project have worked together to create this New Hampshire public education discussion guide to help everyday people have good thoughtful conversations about important topics impacting public education in our state.

Fast Facts

For the 2022-23 School Year, the total revenue of NH School Districts was $3.8 billion. According to the most recent data from the Department of Revenue Administration, 61.4% of all revenue for public schools in New Hampshire came from property taxes. If you add the 9.5% that came from the Statewide Education Property Tax (SWEPT), the total property tax share of public school revenue was $2,699,648,577. Since SWEPT is raised and retained locally, it does not act as a state tax and is therefore just another local property tax.
This year, school vouchers will divert $25 million in taxpayer dollars from public schools, with little accountability or oversight over the program.

Educator workforce shortage data

The starting salary of a new teacher in NH is $40,478, much less than $56,727 per year, the average cost of living in the state. (Source: Report from the Legislative Study Committee on Teacher Recruitment and Retention, 2023)
The teacher shortage in NH is real and is motivated by several factors. Top concerns are stress/burnout, student behavior and discipline, school culture, and low salaries. In 2022, the number of teachers was lower than in 2010, but the continued to increase into 2023. (Source: Report from the Legislative Study Committee on Teacher Recruitment and Retention, 2023)

Graduation and post-grad data

Overall, New Hampshire’s high school graduation rate is approaching 90%, but gaps remain for students experiencing poverty (73%), students receiving special education services (73%), and multilingual students learning English (69%).
College enrollment rates have dropped substantially since the pandemic: overall college enrollment has dropped 12 points among all students, from 63% of high school graduates in 2020 to 55% of high school graduates in 2023.
In 2023, approximately 55% of New Hampshire graduates enrolled in college after graduation. College enrollment rates are significantly lower for students experiencing poverty (31%), students receiving special education services (27%), and multilingual students learning English (28%).