New Hampshire governor signs school choice expansion

New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a universal school choice expansion bill into law Tuesday, making it the 18th state – and the 17th in the last four years – to pass universal school choice.

The measure lifts income restrictions on the state’s education savings accounts, called Education Freedom Accounts, which launched in 2021.

Previously, the program was limited to families earning up to 350% of the federal poverty level, or $109,200 for a family of four, making 45% of the state’s families with children eligible.

Now, students of all household income levels can apply for the $4,300 scholarships, with double that available to families of special needs students, the Concord Monitor reported.

“I can’t think of anything more important than making sure that every child in this state has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential in the setting that works best for them in terms of education,” Ayotte said at Tuesday’s signing ceremony.

The expansion includes a cap of 10,000 students, although lawmakers can increase that as participation grows. The state has about 170,000 students in public schools. The ESA program currently serves more than 5,000 students.

The change is a win for school choice advocates in the Northeast. Previously, the closest states to offer broad educational freedom were West Virginia and Ohio. 

“Thank you @KellyAyotte!” posted New Hampshire’s Carroll County Republicans. “These bills have been a hard fight for years. This is a big deal!” 

Nationally, more than 1.2 million students participate in school choice, double the number from five years ago. Programs exist in 35 states, including 18 that are universal. 

This year alone, 10 states – including Texas, Tennessee and South Carolina – have passed, protected or expanded educational freedom programs, said Club for Growth, which has campaigned in favor of school choice.