New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Accounts were the hot topic at a listening session with Antrim’s state representatives at James A. Tuttle Library Tuesday.

State Sen. Ruth Ward and state Reps. Jim Creighton, Riché Colcombe and Jim Fedolfi represent Antrim. All are Republicans.  

Jackie Stetser of Hillsborough, a public school teacher, said she was concerned about EFAs “bankrupting the public school system.” 

“I am very concerned about the money being taken away from our public schools,” she said. 

Colcombe replied that “The school districts still get 100% of the funding allotted  from property taxes.”

Creighton defended the concept of the EFAs, which he said are designed to give parents more choices in their children’s education.

“So, I pay taxes,” he said. “Let’s assume I pay $10,000 a year in taxes, and I have a kid in the school and I’m not happy. So I pull the kid out, and now I pay for that kid to go to a private school. I’m still paying the $10,000, but that money is not going to pay for my kid – it’s going to pay for someone else’s kid. So I’m paying double, and I don’t think that’s fair. I think that if I’m not happy with the school, I should be able to get assistance to send my kid somewhere else.” 

Creighton said EFAs currently make up about 1% of the state budget at about $25 million.

Other residents asked about HB 115, which will remove all income limits for people applying for EFAs by 2026-2027, and SB 295, which would remove income limits but cap the program at 12,250 students. 

“I voted against this,” Fedolfi said. “I am against raising the income level to 350% about the poverty line. The EFAs are supposed to be about helping people who can’t afford other options for their kids. Then they raised it so the state is giving more money to millionaires. The original intention was good, but it got out of hand. I don’t do what the party tells me to do. I do what I think is right,” he said. 

Ward said she “doubted any rich people would apply for EFAs.” 

Former Rep. Marjorie Porter  of Hillsborough raised the issue of EFAs being audited.

“I expressed my concerns about the EFAs being unregulated previously and I want to know, has any progress been made? Are they being audited?” she said. “Right now, there is no way of evaluating whether the funds are being used adequately. We know from what has happened in other states that people are taking these funds and going to Disney World; they are paying for ballet lessons. Is that happening in New Hampshire? We don’t know, because we don’t have access to the information. Really, we need to have some transparency.”

Colcombe said she was in “full agreement.”

“I struggle with the transparency with our numbers, not only at the local level but at the state level, and that has been a question that I have pushed,” she said. 

Steve Ullman of Antrim said that the state needed a “full comprehensive audit” of EFAs.

“The state originally thought it would spend $129,000 on EFAs. In fact, what was spent during that period of time was $6.9 million. For 2024-2025,  the state is projecting that it will spend $26 million on EFAs, which is pretty close to the $29 million in aid that was given to public schools,” Ullman said. “The Republicans have now chosen to make access to this program unlimited. And I will add that 85% of the students in this program were already attending prep school.” 

All four representatives agreed that EFAs should be audited with full transparency about how the tax dollars are being spent.

The event was organized by the Peterborough Plus Chapter  of the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, a nonpartisan organization which advocates for voting rights and informed voting. Lindy Bundy, an Antrim resident and League volunteer, moderated the event. 

For information about the LWV, go to lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-new-hampshire.