Charter Schools
in New Hampshire

Law:   Passed in 1995

Rank:   10th Weakest of the nation's 40 charter laws

CER Grade:   C

Schools:   0

Students:   0

POLITICS:

FILLING THE VOID: Governor Benson is scheduled to sign a bill that will dramatically improve New Hampshire's charter school law. Though the original law was created in 1995, not a single charter school has opened since then. This new bill will now allow the state board of education to sponsor charter schools, creating a multi-authorizer environment, and it does away with some very harmful provisions that were part of the original bill, including one that required charter schools to be their own LEA (Local Education Agency) for special education purposes. This is a monumental victory for charter school advocates in New Hampshire, who have been working for eight long years to be true participants in the charter school movement. CER Newswire June 17, 2003.
CELEBRATE: Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire is one of eight U.S. Congressional leaders serving as honorary-co-chairs of the Congressional Salute to Charter Schools in conjunction with the fourth annual National Charter Schools Week, April 28-May 2, 2003. The co-chairs will participate in various events showcasing the importance of charter schools in improving all schools.
STRAIGHT TO THE TOP: The state House has just passed a bill that will eliminate one of the more burdensome approval processes of the state's nearly eight-year old law. The new law would provide a direct route to the state's chartering authority, the state board, by-passing a cumbersome process to create charters. While the same measure was vetoed last year by then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen, Governor Craig Benson has indicated strong support for charters. This development will hopefully pave the way to the opening of New Hampshire's first charter school. CER Newswire February 25, 2003.
REALITY CHECK: New Hampshire’s law has been given a low "C" based on its major components. But, if its law were to be graded based purely on implementation, the state would get a solid "F." Since the law was created in 1995, the state has yet to produce one single charter school. Local boards are the sole authorizer, but applications must first be approved by the town by popular vote AND the state board before an application can be formally approved. With this type of onerous approval process, charter schools in New Hampshire have never become a reality. Despite their valiant efforts to improve the law this year, charter advocates have been left to watch from the sidelines as other states receive funding to create strong, successful charter schools. Charter School Laws Across the States: Ranking Scorecard and Legislative Profiles, January 2003.