Bill > HB564

This bill revises the budget adoption procedures for school administrative units (SAUs) in New Hampshire, making significant changes to how school district budgets are developed, presented, and approved. The bill eliminates the alternative budget procedure previously available to SAUs and establishes a new standardized process for budget adoption, particularly for SAUs with multiple districts. Under the new provisions, school administrative unit boards must adopt a budget before January 1st, with costs apportioned among constituent districts based equally on average student attendance and district valuation. The bill introduces a specific warrant article format for budget voting, requiring districts to vote on the proposed SAU budget through a paper ballot process. If the budget does not receive a majority vote, the previous year's adjusted budget will be maintained. The legislation also clarifies that single-district SAUs must now follow similar budgeting procedures as multi-district units, including conducting public hearings and adopting budgets. Additionally, the bill repeals existing alternative budget adoption procedures and standardizes reporting requirements, ensuring that all school districts provide a mandatory voter report at least 7 days prior to budget meetings. These changes aim to create more transparency and consistency in school district budget processes across New Hampshire.

Education

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0248&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB564