Public education in New Hampshire

K-12 education in New Hampshire

Education facts

State superintendent: Frank Edelblut

Number of students: 168,631

Number of teachers: 14,009

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:12

Number of school districts: 162

Number of schools: 456

Graduation rate: 88%

Per-pupil spending: $17,900

See also

New Hampshire Department of Education • List of school districts in New Hampshire • New Hampshire • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in New Hampshire Glossary of education terms

Note: These statistics are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of October 2022.

The New Hampshire public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, New Hampshire had 168,631 students enrolled in a total of 456 schools in 162 school districts. There were 14,009 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 12 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, New Hampshire spent on average $17,900 per pupil.^[1] The state's graduation rate was 88 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.^[2]

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how New Hampshire compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Public education in New Hampshire
State	Schools	Districts	Students	Teachers	Teacher to pupil ratio	Per pupil spending*
New Hampshire	456	162	168,631	14,009	1:12	$17,900
United States	90,323	13,194	47,755,383	2,783,705	1:16	$13,494
*Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020" National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates"

Academic performance

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Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont), New Hampshire had the highest percentage of fourth grade students score at or above proficient in math.^[3]

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
New Hampshire	59%	47%	45%	44%
Maine	47%	40%	37%	38%
Massachusetts	58%	55%	47%	48%
Vermont	52%	47%	42%	45%
United States	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for New Hampshire and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[3][4][5]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[6]

New Hampshire schools reported a graduation rate of 87.3 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, highest among its neighboring states.

In New Hampshire, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1567.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State	Graduation rate, 2013	Average ACT composite, 2013	Average SAT composite, 2013
Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
New Hampshire	87.3%	First	23.8	19%	1567	70%
Maine	86.4%	First	23.5	8%	1380	95%
Massachusetts	85%	Second	24.1	22%	1553	83%
Vermont	86.6%	First	23	26%	1540	61%
United States	81.4%	20.9	54%	1498	50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: • United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" • ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" • The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010-2011 and school year 2011-2012. The event dropout rate for New Hampshire was lower than the national average at 1.3 percent in the 2010-2011 school year and 1.3 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[7]

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in New Hampshire

School choice options in New Hampshire included charter schools, education tax credits, homeschooling, online learning, private schools and voluntary public school open enrollment policies.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[8]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[9]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

New Hampshire is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: New Hampshire state budget and finances

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[10][11]

New Hampshire spent approximately 23.4 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from local funds. The portion of the state's 2013 budget dedicated to public education was larger than that in Maine and Massachusetts, but smaller than that in Vermont.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013
State	Percentage of budget	Per pupil spending	Revenue sources
Percent federal funds	Percent state funds	Percent local funds
New Hampshire	23.4%	$13,721	5.7%	35.5%	58.8%
Maine	16.9%	$12,147	7.5%	40.2%	52.3%
Massachusetts	11.2%	$14,515	5.1%	40.2%	54.7%
Vermont	32%	$16,377	7.1%	88.4%	4.5%
United States	19.8%	$10,700	9.1%	45.6%	45.3%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[11]

In New Hampshire, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding during fiscal year 2013, at $1.7 billion. New Hampshire reported the second highest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)
State	Federal revenue	State revenue	Local revenue	Total revenue
New Hampshire	$163,890	$1,020,089	$1,691,687	$2,875,666
Maine	$196,466	$1,046,527	$1,361,267	$2,604,260
Massachusetts	$818,054	$6,428,534	$8,732,961	$15,979,549
Vermont	$114,697	$1,431,621	$72,591	$1,618,909
United States	$54,367,305	$272,916,892	$270,645,402	$597,929,599
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[12]

Public education expenditures in New Hampshire totaled approximately $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2012. New Hampshire reported the second highest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)
State	General expenditures	Capital outlay	Other	Total expenditures
New Hampshire	$2,643,256	$159,997	$52,826	$2,856,080
Maine	$2,330,842	$121,420	$83,940	$2,536,202
Massachusetts	$14,151,659	$1,117,723	$302,920	$15,572,302
Vermont	$1,497,093	$46,008	$25,192	$1,568,294
United States	$527,096,473	$48,773,386	$25,897,123	$601,766,981
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.^[13]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in New Hampshire, the average salary increased by 7.8 percent.^[14]

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
	1999-2000	2009-2010	2011-2012	2012-2013	Percent difference
New Hampshire	$51,567	$54,912	$55,079	$55,599	7.8%
Maine	$48,597	$49,216	$48,126	$48,119	-1%
Massachusetts	$63,656	$73,945	$72,915	$73,129	14.9%
Vermont	$51,600	$52,394	$52,160	$52,526	1.8%
United States	$57,133	$58,925	$56,340	$56,383	-1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

Organizations

State agencies

See also: New Hampshire Department of Education

The New Hampshire Department of Education is divided into four divisions: the Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning, the Division of Higher Education, the Division of Educational Improvement and the Division of Program Support. Through these divisions, the Department of Education offers a number of programs and services to students, families, teachers and community members.^[15]

Virginia M. Barry was appointed as the New Hampshire Commissioner of Education in 2009.

The mission statement of the New Hampshire Department of Education reads:^[15]

“

To provide educational leadership and services which promote equal educational opportunities and quality practices and programs that enable New Hampshire residents to become fully productive members of society.[16]

”

The New Hampshire State Board of Education has seven members who are appointed by the governor and executive council. Five members are chosen from each of the five executive councilor districts, and two are selected from the state at large.^[17]

Unions

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. New Hampshire ranked 30th overall for union power and influence, or "average," which was in the middle tier of five.^[18]

The main unions related to the New Hampshire school system are the NEA New Hampshire (NEA-NH), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), and New Hampshire Federation of Teachers (AFT-NH), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

List of local New Hampshire school unions:^[19]

• NEA New Hampshire
• New Hampshire Federation of Teachers
• Manchester Education Association
• AFT Nashua
• AFT Bow
• Rochester Federation Of Teachers
• Salem Education Association
• AFT Hudson
• Keene Educational Association
• AFT Plaistow
• Concord Education Association

Government sector lobbying

See also: New Hampshire government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the New Hampshire School Boards Association.

Studies and reports

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

New Hampshire received a score of 88.0, or a B+ average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. Except for the "chance for success" category, the state's highest score was in "school finance" at 81.4, or a B- average. The lowest score was in "the teaching profession" at 63.9, or a D average. New Hampshire had the third highest score in the "chance for success" category in the country. The chart below displays the scores of New Hampshire and its surrounding states.^[20]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

Public education report cards, 2014
State	Chance for success	K-12 achievement	Standards, assessments and accountability	The teaching profession	School finance	Transitions and alignment
New Hampshire	88.0 (B+)	78.8 (C+)	76.0 (C)	63.9 (D)	81.4 (B-)	78.6 (C+)
Maine	78.8 (C+)	72.6 (C)	69.6 (C-)	67.8 (D+)	83.9 (B)	82.1 (B-)
Massachusetts	91.4 (A-)	83.7 (B)	88.4 (B+)	78.7 (C+)	83.5 (B)	75.0 (C)
Vermont	86.4 (B)	77.3 (C+)	82.7 (B)	70.6 (C-)	86.0 (B)	71.4 (C-)
United States Average	77.3 (C+)	70.2 (C-)	85.3 (B)	72.5 (C)	75.5 (C)	81.1 (B-)
Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

ABCs of School Choice

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice publishes a comprehensive guide to private school choice programs across the U.S. In its 2014 edition, the Foundation reviewed the New Hampshire Education Tax Credit Program. The program offers tax credits to businesses that donate to nonprofits that provide scholarships to private schools. The Foundation found that the tax credit program is limited in how many students can receive funding, as both the tax credit and scholarships are capped at a certain amount each year. In addition, only students whose household income is less than 300 percent of the federal poverty line can receive funding. Combined, these restrictions make scholarships available to less than one percent of students in the state.^[21] The full Friedman Foundation report can be found here.

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

New Hampshire contains five types of school districts:^[22]

• Regular districts serve a single community and are governed by elected boards.
• Cooperative districts serve multiple communities with board composition and selection methods that vary according to the bylaws of each district.
• Interstate districts have territory and students in multiple states and are formed as part of the Maine-New Hampshire Interstate School Compact and the New Hampshire-Vermont Interstate School Compact.
• Dependent county districts serve unincorporated areas of a county and are governed by the board of county commissioners. The only dependent county district in existence is Coos County School District.
• Dependent city districts serve specific cities and operate under the fiscal control of those cities. The governing bodies in these districts are either elected or appointed by the city council. The mayor of each city serves as the chair of the board. The dependent city districts include Berlin, Dover, Franklin, Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth, Rochester and Somersworth.

School board composition

New Hampshire school board members are generally elected by residents of the school district, although some school board members are appointed. New Hampshire school board elections typically follow one of these three methods, or a mixture thereof:

• At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
• Trustee area: Only voters residing in a specific geographic area within the school district may vote on certain candidates, who must also reside in that specific geographic area.
• Trustee area at-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, but candidates must reside in specific geographic areas within the school district.

School boards can consist of three or more members, although there must be an odd-numbered total of members. School board members serve three-year terms.^[22]

Term limits

New Hampshire does not impose statewide term limits on school board members. The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that municipalities could not impose term limits on elected officials such as school board members because, "in doing so, municipalities impermissibly intrude into the legislative authority of the general court."^[23]

Elections

See also: New Hampshire school board elections, 2025

New Hampshire School Board Elections
District	Primary	General Election	General Runoff Election	Regular term length	Seats up for election	Total board seats	enrollment
Manchester School District	9/16/2025	N/A	11/4/2025	3	14	15	13,621 school district]]}}

Path to the ballot

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in New Hampshire, a person must be a registered voter in the district. A person must not be a district moderator, treasurer, auditor or a salaried employee of the district.^[22]

Campaign finance

New Hampshire school board candidates must form political committees to oversee their campaign finances. Campaign finance reports are filed with the local election authority.^[24]

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the New Hampshire state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of New Hampshire ballot measures

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Hampshire education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

• Historical public education information in New Hampshire
• New Hampshire state budget and finances
• New Hampshire Department of Education
• List of school districts in New Hampshire
• School choice in New Hampshire
• Charter schools in New Hampshire
• New Hampshire
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• New Hampshire Department of Education
• New Hampshire State Board of Education
• New Hampshire Schools
• New Hampshire Charter Schools
• New Hampshire School Assessment
• New Hampshire Staffing and Salary Reports
• New Hampshire State School Ratings by PSK12
• New Hampshire School Ratings by Great Schools

Footnotes

	v • e State of New Hampshire Concord (capital)
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