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| Date: From: Subject: | 3/12/2007 9:57:40 AM Home School Legal Defense Association New Hampshire: Calls Needed to Oppose Kindergarten Aid Bill |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== March 12, 2007 New Hampshire: Calls Needed to Oppose Kindergarten Aid Bill Dear HSLDA members and friends, On January 31, 2007, the New Hampshire Legislature introduced House Bill 669. The bill was passed by a voice vote on March 6 in the House and referred to the Finance Committee Division II for work sessions on March 14 and March 19 and an Executive Session on March 22. Among other things, this bill authorizes a $1,200 grant to school districts for each child that is enrolled in a public kindergarten program. The bill also charges the department of education with collecting data on the number of kindergarten-age children in each district. If passed, House Bill 669 may provide the groundwork for passage of mandatory kindergarten legislation, which would, in effect, lower the compulsory age of attendance. It would also create an incentive for school districts to conduct intrusive census activities to determine the number of eligible kindergarten-age children in a district for funding purposes. Proponents of the bill believe that this program benefits children by providing them with the option of beginning their education earlier than the compulsory attendance law requires. However, studies show that these types of programs are more costly and less beneficial than the bill's supporters would have you believe. There are several reasons to oppose lowering the compulsory attendance age, including: 1) The possibility of burnout and poor scholastic performance later in life due to a child beginning his or her formal education too early (something many education experts verify); 2) Subjection of homeschoolers to the reporting requirements of New Hampshire's home education statute for more years (you do not need to share this reason with your legislators); 3) Erosion of parental authority--parents are in the best position to determine when their child's formal education should begin; 4) Inevitable tax increases to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools. (When California increased the age of compulsory attendance, unwilling students were so disruptive that new schools had to be built just to handle them and their behavior problems--all at the expense of the taxpayer); and 5) Unwanted governmental intrusion--by tying funding to the number of eligible kindergarten-age students in a district, the law would encourage school districts to conduct aggressive and intrusive census activities to maximize their funding potential. ACTION REQUESTED: (1) Contact your legislators and members of the House Finance Committee Division II, and tell them to oppose House Bill 669. In your own words, deliver this message: "Please oppose House Bill 669. In addition to creating a higher tax burden on New Hampshire citizens, this bill lays the groundwork for compulsory kindergarten attendance and will encourage school districts to undertake intrusive census activities to maximize their funding potential." You can find your legislators' contact information at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox. You can find contact information for the New Hampshire House Finance Committee Division II at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3873 . Thank you! Sincerely, Michael P. Donnelly, Esq. HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What do you look like when you get out of bed? It's hard to look our best all the time. HSLDA works to present homeschooling in an engaging, dynamic, and informative light to the public news media. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1104 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
