An NHPR report on how families spent Education Freedom Account funds drew criticism from New Hampshire Democrats, and NH Journal argued the spending simply reflected ordinary educational purchases. The piece noted that House Majority Leader Jason Osborne is among the program’s biggest supporters in the legislature.
The NH Journal piece described how the EFA program works for participating families.
The EFA program lets families earning less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level receive the state’s share of their child’s school spending and use it on alternatives to their assigned public school.
NH Journal
It argued the arrangement benefits both families and the local schools they leave.
It’s a win-win for the families — who get an education they believe is better suited to their students’ needs — and the local schools, who still receive the local funding (usually around $15,000 per) for a student the school no longer has to serve.
NH Journal
The NH Journal piece noted the political backdrop, with House Democrats moving against the program.
State House Democrats overwhelmingly oppose the EFA program, despite its popularity with parents and voters, and they are proposing bills to restrict it or kill it entirely.
NH Journal
The report then turned to the spending figures that drew the criticism.
NHPR reported on publicly-available data released by the New Hampshire Department of Education showing “participants spent a total of about $805,000 at Amazon.com and approximately $2.76 million at private schools last year.”
NH Journal
The NH Journal piece argued that buying supplies from a major retailer was unremarkable.
Given that Amazon is both the world’s largest marketplace and the biggest online bookseller (with more than 1,000 items under the “homeschooling materials — 1st grade” category alone), it’s hardly a surprise that parents buy education supplies there.
NH Journal
It also addressed the specific item involving Osborne’s family.
“Among the program’s biggest supporters in the legislature is House Majority Leader Jason Osborne. According to records, a homeschooling company run by his wife received $28,750 last year in Education Freedom Account funding.”
NH Journal
Read the full story at NH Journal.
