We request that the New Hampshire State Board of Education reverse its decision to deny all pending charter school applicants and allow said applicants to present their applications for consideration before the Board based on the merits of their applications.

We further request that the New Hampshire State Legislature increase the total amount of funding available to support the increased demand for Public Charter Schools.

In 2010, the Federal government awarded the state of New Hampshire an $11.6 million grant which would provide start-up funding for up to four new charter schools each year over a five year period. The State had set a goal of opening twenty new charter schools with the help of this money.

Without any notification or warning, the State BOE decided at their September 19, 2012 meeting to deny all pending charter school applications. One of the objectives of the Charter School Program in New Hampshire is to “Increase the number of high quality charter schools in New Hampshire, particularly those serving educationally disadvantaged students most at risk in rural and urban settings.” The moratorium placed on charter school approval threatens the schools which have just opened and the remaining $5.6 million in federal funds.

We hereby ask that the New Hampshire State Legislature increase the overall budget to support the increasing number of students demanding quality education through Public Charter Schools.

We hereby request that the New Hampshire State Board of Education reverse its moratorium on Public Charter Schools.

Charter schools are public schools and we reject any political strategy which would seek to use these students as pawns in political negotiations.