New Hampshire Republican committee approves Senate bill allowing open enrollment

School choice advocates in New Hampshire are praising the progress on a bill to advance open enrollment policies across the state.

“On a party-line vote, Republicans on the House Education Policy Committee approved Senate Bill 101, which introduces a geographic element to school choice,” explains WMUR, a local ABC affiliate. “Families would be able to choose a public school anywhere in the state, while the legislation gives districts the power to say how many students they can accept.”

State Rep. Michael Belcher, R-Wakefield, hailed the move as a victory for parents.

“They have the ultimate responsibility for the upbringing and education, directing the education of their own children,” he said. “They ought to have as many options as can be reasonably implemented, because that’s their right.”

However, critics argued such legislation could incur higher expenses for school districts.

“There’s a ton of questions that have not been answered yet in regards to capacity, special education, transportation, economic equity and funding mechanisms,” said state Rep. Peggy Balboni, D-Rye.

Not just for ‘rich, white kids’

As previously reported by The Lion, research from the Reason Foundation in 2025 estimated 1.6 million students across 19 states were participating in open enrollment.

Such growth outpaces the approximately 1.2 million students enrolled in private school choice programs across 35 states.

“This suggests that open enrollment can weaken the connection between housing and schooling since some students use it to enroll in schools that would otherwise be out of reach due to high housing costs,” read the study’s executive summary.

Additionally, researchers found 43% of open enrollment students come from low-income households, contradicting the assumption that such policies benefit only “rich, white kids.”

“In Wisconsin, for example, the racial profiles of program participants largely match the state demographics with the exception that Hispanics are slightly over-represented,” wrote Peter Angerhofer, who has served on the board of the Josiah Bartlett Center and Heronfield Academy.

“In California, Hispanics make up 40% of open enrollment students. And across 10 open enrollment states, 44% of participants are eligible for free or reduced lunches.”

Angerhofer also highlighted the 23 states offering “robust open enrollment programs” without harming students in underserved districts.

“The introduction of competition creates strong incentives to improve educational services without increasing costs,” he concluded. “This is just what has happened in other states, benefitting both students and taxpayers.”