We asked, you answered: Should the state ditch Education Freedom Accounts?

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New Hampshire’s public schools are notoriously underfunded, but money continues to be invested in students seeking private school opportunities.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte expanded school vouchers, known as Education Freedom Accounts by signing SB 295 into law. The new law removes income limits, but caps enrollment at 10,000 students for 2025–26, with future increases if demand is high.

Last year, 5,321 students used vouchers averaging $5,204 each. It cost taxpayers nearly $28 million. Spending is projected to hit $50 million in the first year of universal eligibility.

This week, we asked readers, do you agree with the ‘Education Freedom Accounts’ program, or is it weakening public schools? Here are some of the responses:

“Education Freedom Accounts are definitely hurting our public schools. Public funded schools have a long history in America since democracy requires an educated populace. Also this country was founded on separation of church and state for very good reasons. Our public taxes should not be going to support religious schools.” — Richard Bohn 

This is a terrible idea and will cost public schools and property owners a lot of money.  Why is my tax dollar going to pay for religious education and to people who can afford to pay on their own? —  Ronnie Sandler

“Yes! I agree with school choice.” — Cheryl Charron

“Of course it’s weakening public schools, but that’s the Republican plan— education for me (the rich) but not for thee (the rest of us). Why? Because it’ll create a permanent uneducated working class that the rich can control. — Bob Weiner

“Taxes should only pay for public schools and NOT private ones!” — Desiree Black

“Definitely weakening public schools. I’m involved in a free tutoring program and general knowledge weakness is very prevalent.” — Bruce McAdam

“It’s a Democratic disaster for our state. Private schools should be private and the public schools need the funding.” — Tom Westheimer

“Absolutely not! I fully support public education paid by taxes collected. I find it wholly unacceptable for taxpayers to subsidize those who choose not to use the public schools.” — Maryellen Sakura

“I am strongly opposed to the EFA program because it is a $39 million drain on the already underfunded allotment for public education and effectively transfers wealth from lower to higher-income families. In addition, the program is highly unpopular and anti-democratic. This year, online testimony was overwhelmingly against SB295 (919-37) but it passed the State House along party lines with the help of over 90 state legislators who are members of the Koch affiliated Young Americans for Liberty.” — Bill Black

“Parents will use this extra money to go on ski vacations or fund non-essentials should be required to pay for private or home schooling. Their taxes are desperately needed to fund our public school system! Only extreme cases deserve a tax rebate. Others should apply for subsidies from the private schools.” — Robert  Kluger

“We enrolled our daughter in a private middle school to better meet her needs, but we REFUSE to take public tax dollars to help fund her private education! This system has hurt every state that’s implemented it, and it’s a strategic, sneaky attempt to dismantle the core of our democracy.” — Jessica Crowley Hampton

“Public education is a monopoly and in urban areas there are often poor results. There are several reasons but money alone won’t solve the problems, competition may. People with lower incomes should not be forced to live with this because they can’t send their children to a charter/private school. I agree with the plan but there should be income limits.” — Dean Klewsaat 

“I am opposed to Education Freedom Accounts. Education Freedom Accounts undermine the very foundation of New Hampshire’s public education system. They siphon taxpayer dollars away from neighborhood schools and funnel them into private, religious, and out-of-state programs with little to no accountability. This diverts critical funding from the classrooms where the vast majority of New Hampshire’s children learn, leaving public schools with fewer resources to support teachers, maintain facilities, and provide essential services like special education. Instead of strengthening our public schools—which serve every child regardless of background or ability—EFAs create a system of winners and losers, where only a select few benefit while the majority are left behind. Public education is the cornerstone of equal opportunity in our state. Weakening it in favor of unregulated private subsidies harms students, communities, and the future of New Hampshire. We must invest in strengthening public schools, not draining them. For the sake of fairness, accountability, and the long-term success of all our children, Education Freedom Accounts should be rejected.” — David Preece

“NO NO NO! Again, we are giving money to wealthy instead of helping poor kids get an excellent education.”— Tina Cook

“I agree heartily with Richard Bohn’s comments on public school vouchers and do not believe money should follow the child when parents were affording placement of their children without subsidy. An uneducated populace leads to an authoritarian society and ultimately a one party political system. I uphold constitutional beliefs and due process of law supporting the lower courts and not the pro-Trump Supreme Court.” — Candace Morrison 

“Yes, education choice for vouchers is generally a good idea IN THEORY. But… they must have limits. Our tax laws in this state are completely unbalanced. Most NH residents (homeowners, I mean) cannot continue to pay the rising rates of school taxes and support additional private schooling costs besides. We do not have the money. There should be income limits on any funding of vouchers.” — Susi Bromm

“It is weakening our school systems. And I have never supported my tax dollars going to religious entities. Where is the separation of church and state?” — Deborah Lievens

“The NH Legislature has failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to fund an adequate education for our public school students. Legislative leaders have cited the high cost of public schools and failed to recognize that NH consistently ranks among the top 10 states for public education. Rather than defunding public schools and diverting the money to religious and private schools, the Legislature should do their job and employ analytics to understand cost drivers and performance. Rather than relying on data-driven decision making to improve our schools, the Legislature is diverting critical funding to institutions that have no mandated performance standards.” — Craig Cunningham 

“‘Freedom’ is a word used and abused by Republicans for years. To them it means the rich can do and have everything while the rest of us scramble. It means they are free to do whatever they want without thinking about the common good or their responsibility to the whole society. We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same sea, and they want the better boats for themselves. Very shortsighted and an embarrassment.” — Nancy Fisk