Tele-Talk question: What do you think can be done to equitably fund education in New Hampshire towns and cities?

One of the lawyers for the landmark Claremont education funding case, John Tobin, spoke in Tamworth this week about the glaring disparity in the state property tax formula used to fund education in different communities in New Hampshire. State and local property taxes account for about 75 percent of school funding. In the 1990s, the state Supreme Court ruled New Hampshire’s Constitution guarantees an adequate public education to each child and that the state is responsible for paying for it with taxes that are equal across the state. More than 20 years later, property-poor communities are spending much more than property-rich communities, and towns and cities are heading back to court to try to force the state to meet what the court said is its obligation.

This week’s Tele-Talk question: What do you think can be done to equitably fund education in New Hampshire towns and cities?