The Meredith News
Editorial
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
It’s true that there are quite a few school districts in New Hampshire that could use a boost of the financial variety. We’re lucky to have so many well funded schools in our coverage area, by comparison. But how to give those school districts a helping hand without amputating our own hands? SB 539 seeks to redistribute funding based on a complicated formula - $3.450 per student, plus “An additional $431 per pupil in kindergarten through grade 12 eligible for the federal free and reduced-price meal program who attends a public school in which less than 12 percent of the pupils reported in the school’s ADMA in the determination year are eligible for the federal free and reduced-price meal program,” et cetera, et cetera. The point is that this potential law has a price tag .....
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that will likely draw upon our towns heavily, with Moultonboro milked the heaviest, at about $3.7 million, though other towns will also feel the pinch. Now, whether or not we agree that the donor towns can afford this, whether or not this won’t badly pinch those in the lower-income brackets, it’s the possibility of what could happen to that money that really rankles us. Laconia City Council is already considering what to do with the $3 million windfall that it could receive if SB 539 is signed into law. The more legitimate purpose of potentially using that money to redo the Huot Center has been essentially discarded for the notion of reducing property taxes for Laconia taxpayers. The defense is that the budget has already been set for the 2009-10 school year, and the $3 million will reduce the taxes that would have been spent by Laconia residents on their school district. Thankfully, the council will have to wait to find out if the $3 million qualifies as a state grant, or differentiated aid that can only be used for school purposes. And thankfully for the potential donor towns, Governor Lynch has voiced opposition to SB 539. It’s the attitude of the Laconia City Council, however, that really gives us pause. The whole purpose of the endless talks in the Senate and House were to give all children in New Hampshire a fair shot at a good future. It wasn’t to give certain towns in New Hampshire money to play around with as they see fit. If SB 539 is made law, the Moultonboro taxpayer that has to reach painfully deep into his or her pockets to fulfill this new requirement could at least comfort themselves with the thought that their money would be used to improve education. The thought that extra money raised on the northern end of Lake Winnipesaukee would be used to reduce taxes for those on the southern end of the lake is one that would justifiably make their blood boil. We’d like to thank Governor Lynch for his opposition to SB 539, and ask that he remain firm on it as the legislative process continues. And if SB 539 passes? We’d like to ask Laconia not to take a page from Claremont’s book. Laconia is doing just fine without an opera house.
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