Ever feel like you’re spending a lot on education, but still hear that New Hampshire underfunds its public schools? That’s because the state relies heavily on local property taxes to cover education costs—more than any other state.
Right now, local property taxpayers cover about 63% of the cost, while the state chips in just 28.8%. The federal government covers a little over 8%, ranking New Hampshire 45th nationally for public school funding. Meanwhile, the state is diverting tens of millions toward private school vouchers—about $28 million last year alone.
“While New Hampshire ranks in the top 10 for public education funding, nationwide we rank 50th in state funding for public education. That means we, the property taxpayers, are forced to cover the balance because the state will not pay its fair share,” Megan Tuttle, the president of the National Education Association in New Hampshire, told InDepthNH.
Here’s a look at the numbers from the National Education Association’s annual report:
📚 NH has 168 public schools.
📚 It has 15,609 public school teachers.
📚 There are 165,082 students enrolled in public school.
📚 There are 10.2 students enrolled per teacher — the second lowest in the nation, behind Vermont.
📚 $64,169 is the average salary for public school teachers. The national average salary is $72,030.
📚$21,082 is how much it costs to educate each student, while $32,762 is the national average.
📚 63% of funding comes from local sources.
📚 28.3% of funding comes from the state, the lowest in the nation.
RELATED: If New Hampshire appreciates its teachers, now is a good time to show them (NH Bulletin)
