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News Releases- Archives
Senate Urged to Approve Ed Funding Bill with House-Passed Principles
June 6, 2005
Here is the Coalition Communities Reaction to Monday's announcement
By Gov. Lynch that 13 Senators will vote for the Odell-D'Allesandro Amendment, enough for passage.
"Our Coalition Communities are grateful to the Senators who have stepped forward to publicly support this amendment that fulfills all of our goals and principles - an end to the Statewide Property Tax and Donor towns, and an equitable long-term targeted aid funding formula that would be reevaluated annually to ensure that no town becomes at risk," the 34-member Coalition Communities said Monday.
"This legislation builds upon and goes beyond the proposal our Coalition developed because it also evaluates graduation rates and test scores to determine if a town needs extra help. In addition, it includes consideration of a community's special education costs, which the House-passed education funding bill did not. We will urge our State Representatives to also vote for the Odell-D'Allesandro amendment being publicly backed today by our Senators who represent Coalition towns -- Senators Odell, Gallus, Kenney, Fuller Clark, Burling, and Hassan," the Coalition said.
Senators Martha Fuller Clark, Joe Kenney, and John Gallus also were co-sponsors of the Coalition's proposal, HB 684, along with Sen. Carl Johnson and State Reps. Edmond Gionet of Lincoln, Betsey Patten of Center Harbor, Jane Langley of Rye, Randy Foose of New London and Margie Maybeck of Holderness. HB684 has been retained by the House Education Committee for further study.
Once the Senate votes, the House would be expected to vote next week on whether to concur or request a Committee of Conference to try to reach a compromise version.
The 34-member Coalition of Communities is comprised of Alton, Bridgewater, Carroll, Center Harbor, Dublin, Easton, Eaton, Franconia, Freedom, Grantham, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Hanover, Hart's Location, Hebron, Jackson, Lincoln, Meredith, Moultonborough, New Castle, New London, Newington, North Hampton, Pittsburg, Portsmouth, Rye, Sandwich, Seabrook, Stoddard, Sugar Hill, Sunapee, Tuftonboro and Waterville Valley. Contact information for each town can be found on the Coalition's web site, http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/coalition/about-members.html
The Coalition Communities, led by Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell, stretch from one end of the state to the other. They have high property values, even though two-thirds of have median household incomes below the State average. Since the Statewide Property Tax was instituted in 1999, Donor towns have been forced to raise $160.7 million in excess property taxes to be distributed to other communities that may be wealthier by every other standard than per-pupil property wealth.
For more info, contact: Pat Remick, 610-7281
Or Mayor Sirrell, 610-7200 between 10 am - 2 pm
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