Letter: Pass a state budget that supports public education

I’m calling on lawmakers to pass a state budget that truly supports public education, lifts the burden off local property taxpayers, and stops funneling public dollars into private voucher programs.

Education is not a luxury – it’s the foundation of strong communities and future opportunity. Every dollar we invest in public schools helps shape tomorrow’s doctors, plumbers, teachers and leaders. But instead of strengthening this foundation, the state continues to shift the burden to local taxpayers like those of us in Warner, where property taxes are already high. That’s not sustainable – and it’s not fair.

Meanwhile, most of the funding for the state’s universal voucher program is going to students who were never enrolled in public schools to begin with. Why are we stripping limited resources from a system that serves all children in order to subsidize private education for a select few?

New Hampshire deserves a budget that works for every student and every taxpayer, not just those in wealthy towns. It’s time for the legislature to stop ignoring the thousands of Granite Staters calling for equity and accountability in school funding.

Beth Fenner-Lukaitis

Warner