Less State Funding
Charlotte Holt
March 26, 2026
To the Editor,
New Hampshire gives less state funding to public schools than any other state. Because of this, towns have to make up the difference with high property taxes. In Haverhill, many taxpayers are frustrated. Property taxes keep going up, while state support keeps going down.
That’s why it was disappointing to see our state representatives, Rick Ladd and Marie Bjelobrk, vote to kill HB1799. This bill would have increased state funding from $4,100 to $7,379 per student. For Haverhill’s roughly 600 students, that would have meant about $2 million more for our schools, around 11% of the school district's budget. That additional state revenue could have significantly helped lower local property taxes in our community.
New Hampshire has a legal obligation to provide a quality education through its public education system. I encourage Haverhill residents to contact Rep. Marie Bjelobrk (marie.bjelobrk@leg.state.nh.us) and Rep. Rick Ladd (rick.ladd@leg.state.nh.us) and ask a simple question: If not this bill, what is the plan to adequately fund public education at the state level instead of continuing to rely so heavily on property taxes? We need public education funding reform now.
Charlotte Holt
Woodsville, NH
New Hampshire gives less state funding to public schools than any other state. Because of this, towns have to make up the difference with high property taxes. In Haverhill, many taxpayers are frustrated. Property taxes keep going up, while state support keeps going down.
That’s why it was disappointing to see our state representatives, Rick Ladd and Marie Bjelobrk, vote to kill HB1799. This bill would have increased state funding from $4,100 to $7,379 per student. For Haverhill’s roughly 600 students, that would have meant about $2 million more for our schools, around 11% of the school district's budget. That additional state revenue could have significantly helped lower local property taxes in our community.
New Hampshire has a legal obligation to provide a quality education through its public education system. I encourage Haverhill residents to contact Rep. Marie Bjelobrk (marie.bjelobrk@leg.state.nh.us) and Rep. Rick Ladd (rick.ladd@leg.state.nh.us) and ask a simple question: If not this bill, what is the plan to adequately fund public education at the state level instead of continuing to rely so heavily on property taxes? We need public education funding reform now.
Charlotte Holt
Woodsville, NH
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