New laws have recently gone into effect that can help improve your school districts (and towns).
RSA 186:11, X(a) “Certification of teachers, supervisors, and administrators in the public schools ” – This common sense law requires those seeking an initial license for administrator, teacher, instructional specialist or educational specialist to obtain
passing scores on professional education assessments as determined by the state board of education. Requiring professional competency for our school personnel is a common sense and long overdue measure. Law took effect Jun. 2, 2025
RSA 32:5-d “Disclosure of State Funding Received” – Requires schools districts (and towns) to post federal and state funding allocations or grants received on their website within 30 days of receipt. Having knowledge of these funds helps us to know about cash flow and to question any conditions or obligations associated with this funds. Is your school district compliant? Law took effect Sep. 24, 2024
RSA 189-B “Parental Bill of Rights” – New chapter of law from 2025 HB10 that outlines all parental rights in one place, a majority related to parental rights in education. Law took effect Jul. 1, 2025.
RSA 194-F “Universal Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs)” – Now every student in NH is eligible for an EFA, typically around $5K for educational expenses, up to the cap of 10,000 students. This cap has been reached, and will be increased by 25% in 2026, to 12,500. Law took effect Jun. 10, 2025.
RSA 189:76 “Mandatory Report to Voters” – Requires publishing valuable graphs before annual school district meetings: 10-year average cost per pupil, 10-year average teacher salary, 10-year annual total of school/SAU administrator salaries. Also, a table with the titles and salaries of four highest paid school/SAU administrators must be published. Look for these ahead of 2026 meetings. Law took effect Jul. 1, 2025.
RSA 32:5 V-b “Tax Impact Transparency” – School districts and towns that have voted to have tax impact included on warrant articles now will be required to have the first 5 years of tax impacts listed when a warrant article is a multi-year expense (CBA, bond, lease, etc.). Law took effect Aug. 30, 2025.
RSA 32:5-b “Local Tax Cap” – The override requirement to exceed a local tax cap has been changed from a simple majority to a 3/5 supermajority by ballot, so the local tax cap now has “teeth” like tax caps in cities, school district budget cap, and new town budget cap. Also, existing local tax caps can be modified without first rescinding, and important statutory question wording was strengthened. A local tax cap limits tax effort, which is spending minus revenues. Law took effect Sep. 13, 2025.
RSA 32:5-e “School District Budget Cap” – Important clarifications to definitions and strengthening procedures. Requires 3/5 supermajority by ballot to override. Also, existing budget caps can be modified without first rescinding. This budget cap limits spending, so excess revenue is returned to taxpayers for property tax relief (unless there is an override). Law took effect Sep. 13, 2025.
RSA 32:5-g “Town Budget Cap” – This new budget cap for towns limits town spending based on inflation and population change, and excess revenue is returned to taxpayers for property tax relief (unless there is an override). The adoption question is not amendable at the deliberative session or traditional meeting, just goes to the voters as proposed. Law took effect Aug. 23, 2025.
RSA 669:12 “Partisan Town Elections” – This law has been updated so that the question to adopt partisan town elections is an official ballot question on election day. Useful not only for elected budget committees that set school district budgets, but for all elected town positions. This provides more information to voters, and will almost certainly improve local election turnout, which is low statewide. Unfortunately, a similar bill for partisan school district elections was vetoed, but re-filed for 2026. Law took effect Sep. 13, 2025.
RSA 39:3, 197:2, 197:6, 40:7 regarding “Petition Warrant Articles ” – Petition warrant articles now can identify a “Primary Petitioner” who gets 10+ minutes to present/explain the petition warrant article at annual or special meeting. Also allows for a substitute voter to speak. Supports free speech and civil discourse. Law took effect Sep. 13, 2025.
RSA 671:20 regarding “School District Ballot Information” – Requires school ballot starting in 2026 to list most recent average cost-per-pupil and school district proficiency in reading/language arts, math, and science. Voters need to know what they are spending and the return on investment. Law took effect Sep. 30, 2025.
RSA 195:12-a “Co-Op School District Budget Committee” – School board member on co-op budget committee is now a non-voting member, instead of getting to vote twice on warrant articles (once on school board, once on budget committee). Supports common sense one-man one-vote principle. Law took effect Jul. 1, 2025.
RSA 189:10-a “Prohibition on School Mask Mandates” – Local school board and administrators cannot enact nor enforce mask mandates. Protects parental rights and individual bodily rights of adult students. Law took effect Sep. 13, 2025.
RSA 126-A:32-a “Prohibition on Use of School Facilities to Shelter Certain Aliens ” – Any local decision to use our schools to house undocumented aliens for more than 72 hours based on an emergency, will be deterred by the loss of state funding. Law took effect Sep. 30, 2025.
RSA 186-C:5-a “Special Education State Complaints and Findings; Complaint Tracking ” – Department of Education will publish redacted summaries of special education complaints. School board members and the public can now see this important information — transparency to improve school district special education. Law took effect Sep. 1, 2025.
RSA 186:11 IX-f “Regarding Transportation for Medical and Health-Related Appointments ” – Requires prior parental knowledge and consent for a medical appointment, mental health appointment or visit that includes any type of mental health evaluation, treatment, or counseling, or any other health-related appointment or visit. Exception for emergency transport by ambulance. Law took effect Jul. 13, 2025.
RSA 21-N:9, II(cc)(1)(B) “Educator code of ethics and code of conduct – responsibility to parents ” – This short bill, now law, amends the educator code of conduct to include responsibility to parents. Law took effect Aug. 30, 2025.
RSA 21-N:9, II(s) (5) “Alternate certification pathways for career and technical education instructors ” – This law provides flexibility for CTE instructors to be certified by professional paid experience and an industry recognized credential, allowing school boards to more effectively recruit CTE instructors for their schools. Law took effect Aug. 30, 2025.
Thank you to all legislators who are SDGA members and supporters of our SDGA mission, and to all those who helped advocate to get these important bills signed into law. It was a very successful 2025 legislative session!
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