Open Enrollment
New Hampshire lawmakers are once again advancing a statewide open enrollment proposal, this time through last-minute changes to HB 751.This proposal would make significant changes to how students move between school districts and how taxpayer dollars follow them. Yet many of the questions raised throughout this year's debate remain unanswered.Supporters often describe open enrollment as expanding opportunity. But in states that track data, students with disabilities are frequently denied access at higher rates than their nondisabled peers. Research and state data from around the country have shown that disability can become a barrier to participation when adequate safeguards, oversight, and accountability measures are not built into open enrollment systems from the start.School districts could face unexpected tuition costs. Communities could lose local control over decisions voters already made. Families, educators, and taxpayers are being asked to trust a system that still lacks clear answers about implementation, oversight, accountability, and funding.For students with disabilities, the concerns are even greater. Open enrollment is not just about changing schools. It involves transportation, accommodations, specialized instruction, therapy services, assistive technology, and legal protections that must follow students wherever they go. Families and advocates have repeatedly asked how these supports will be coordinated and protected, but many of those questions remain unresolved.What happens when districts disagree about services? Who is responsible for transportation? How will schools ensure students receive the supports they need from day one? What safeguards exist to prevent discrimination or barriers to access?These are not small details. They are questions that should be answered before a major statewide policy change takes effect.New Hampshire deserves an open and transparent conversation about open enrollment. Families, educators, students, disability advocates, and local communities should have a meaningful voice in shaping policies that will affect public education for years to come.Contact state leaders today and ask them to slow down, listen to the people most affected, and make sure these questions are answered before moving forward.
Title: (Second New Title) establishing a committee to study licensure of outpatient substance use disorder treatment facilities, authorizing parents to enroll their children in any public school in the state, and creating a limited exemption from parental consent required for certain recordings under the parental bill of rights.
Last Action
Pending Motion Committee of Conference Report #2026-2118c; 06/04/2026; SJ 14
Senate • Jun 04, 2026Latest Version
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