Bill > SB101

This bill allows parents to enroll their children in any public school in New Hampshire, fundamentally changing the current school assignment system. The legislation removes restrictions on students attending only the public school in their resident district and instead establishes a statewide open enrollment policy. Key provisions include requiring each school district to establish an open enrollment policy, allowing parents to apply to any public school in the state, and establishing clear rules for school transfers. Districts must publicly post their school and grade-level capacities and report transfer application data annually. Schools can only deny transfer applications for specific reasons such as student expulsion history, significant disciplinary issues, chronic absenteeism, or lack of capacity. Funding for transferred students will be based on the resident district's average per-pupil cost, with provisions for handling cost differences between districts. The bill prohibits schools from rejecting students based on academic achievement, aptitude, or other discriminatory factors. Transportation responsibilities are also addressed, with parents potentially responsible for getting students to existing bus routes. The legislation aims to provide parents with more educational choices and increase flexibility in public school enrollment, with implementation set to begin on January 1, 2026.

Education

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=1042&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=SB101