Howes: Keeping NH school voucher data secret raises questions about what is being hidden

When the state of New Hampshire approves funding for any program — whether it’s for education, transportation, health care, social services or anything else — the public has a right to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent legally and as intended, and that they are producing the expected results. The state has an obligation to its taxpayers to expend their money as required by the law.

But it seems that the controversial state school voucher program is being treated differently. A 2022 law requires an audit of how the state Department of Education is administrating the voucher program. The department has a contract with the private Children’s Scholarship Fund to administer the program, and it is treating its data as a nuclear secret and will not release the information. It is outrageous that the Legislative Budget Assistant, or LBA — tasked to audit the program — cannot gain access to information on the students and families receiving state-funded vouchers.

No access to data, no audit. If there’s nothing unsavory going on, then why keep the data in a black box and not turn it over for a legally required audit? Is something fishy is going on? The people of New Hampshire have a right to know if tens of millions of dollars in state funds for vouchers are being properly spent. Are all participants actually eligible to receive the funds? What are the demographics of those receiving vouchers? How are the funds being spent? Are public schools getting required reimbursements for departing students? These are some of the questions that auditors need to explore for their legally required audit.

This fight over the data shouldn’t be happening. The contract between the state and the Children’s Scholarship Fund clearly says that the state can access any of the contractor’s books, records and accounts for the purpose of complying with the law. It also says that the data is the property of the state. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut should be adhering to the four corners of the law and require the Children’s Scholarship Fund to release the data immediately, but he’s in so deep with the voucher community that this would be anathema to him.

Until this issue is resolved and the data is revealed to auditors, there should be no additional millions spent on any new voucher program. First, we need to know that the already approved funds are being used in complete compliance with the law. Three bills currently under consideration to expand the state’s voucher programs and create a new one for preschoolers should not see the light of day, at least until this situation is settled. We shouldn’t be throwing more money at a program that refuses to shine light on its books.

Of course, all of this prompts the question: Why are we even spending education dollars on unaccountable vouchers when we aren’t fully funding our regular public schools, which the majority of students attend and, by the way, whose data are open for all to see?

Let’s follow the law, let the state auditors see the books and let taxpayers know how their tax dollars are being spent. Letting in sunlight is the right thing to do.

Deb Howes is president of AFT-New Hampshire.