Press Releases

School Building Aid Interim Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Contact: Senator Molly Kelly
(603) 271-4153

SCHOOL BUILDING AID COMMITTEE FINALIZES ITS INTERIM REPORT

CONCORD – The Committee to Study the School Building Aid Grant Program voted today to approve its interim report, which includes a recommendation that the Legislature temporarily suspend building aid after June 30 to provide time to develop new and more sustainable guidelines.

State grants to communities renovating or building new schools have grown by 150 percent in the last decade, from $18.5 million in 1999 to $46.2 million in the latest budget – an unsustainable trajectory according to the committee.

As a result, the committee is asking the Legislature to consider a temporary suspension of school building aid for new projects approved after June 30, 2010. The goal is to provide an opportunity for pending projects to get local approval before temporarily suspending the aid program. At the same time, the committee plans to continue to study the program and recommend changes.

“Growth of 150 percent is not sustainable in a state that does not have unlimited revenues. Yet we recognize the state has a role in helping communities provide their students with safe and serviceable public schools. We need to review the eligibility criteria to set clear objectives and to ensure the program is financially sustainable into the future,” said Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene), who serves as chairwoman of the committee.

The committee is not proposing to change current grant allocations, recognizing that communities were counting on the state’s contributions when building projects were approved. In total, the state has obligations to pay just over $600 million for previously approved projects with an additional cost of $200 million for debt service.

The committee’s interim report also acknowledges that if a temporary suspension goes into effect, some accommodations may have to be made for school districts with safety issues.

The committee plans to meet again in January to continue its work.

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School Building Aid Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, December 1, 2009 Contact: Senator Molly Kelly
(603) 271-4153

COMMITTEE CONSIDERS TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF SCHOOL BUILDING AID

CONCORD – State grants to communities renovating or building new schools have grown by 150 percent in the last decade, from $18.5 million in 1999 to $46.2 million in the latest budget – an unsustainable trajectory according to a legislative committee studying the issue.

The Committee to Study the School Building Aid Grant Program met today to discuss an interim report it plans to issue by Dec. 15. The report will include a recommendation that the Legislature consider a temporary suspension of school building aid for new projects approved after June 30, 2010. The goal is to give the committee more time to study and recommend changes to the program. A final committee report is due by Nov. 15, 2010.

“My committee members plan to review the eligibility criteria and recommend a redesign of the school building aid program with clear objectives and to ensure it is financially sustainable into the future,” said Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene), who serves as chairwoman of the committee.

“The Committee’s research to date has led to a preliminary sense that schools in greatest need of repair, renovation or replacement do not sufficiently benefit from the existing program while schools in communities with greater local fiscal capacity are readily accessing the funds for building more elaborate and expensive schools. The Committee recognizes the need to revise eligibility criteria to be more fair and equitable to those schools and communities with the greatest need,” a draft of the interim report reads.

The committee is not proposing to change current grant allocations, recognizing that communities were counting on the state’s contributions when building projects were approved. In total, the state has obligations to pay just over $600 million for previously approved projects with an additional cost of $200 million for debt service.

The committee’s draft report also acknowledges that if a temporary suspension goes into effect, some accommodations may have to be made for school districts with safety issues. The committee is expected to approve a final version of its interim report on Dec. 15.

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Governor & Council Meeting

GOVERNOR & COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 9 IN JAFFREY
All are welcome!

Friends of District 10:

I invite all of you to attend the upcoming Governor & Council meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 10:00am. Please come to the Old Meeting House in Jaffrey Center, where Governor Lynch, our Executive Council and I will welcome you.

This is a valuable opportunity to experience the process in which we invest throughout the State. And because there are many items on the agenda, you can pick and choose those items that are of interest to you. Stay for some of the meeting, or all of it.

Most importantly, consider attending so you can become more familiar with how NH Government works.

And, as always, please contact me if you have any questions at (603) 271-4153.

Have a good week,
Molly
Real World Challenge!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 21, 2009 Contact: Senator Molly Kelly
(603) 271-4153

SENATOR KELLY SUPPORTS ENGINEERING PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS

CONCORD – Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene) joined Governor John Lynch, educators and industry executives today to launch a program that will give New Hampshire students the opportunity to learn and apply engineering skills to solve a “real world challenge.”

New Hampshire has agreed to participate in a national program called the Real World Design Challenge -- giving high school teachers and students access to $1 million in engineering software as they compete to design a two-engine commercial jet with enhanced fuel efficiency. Last year, an all-girls team from Hawaii became the first winner in the program, now starting its second year with a new design challenge. This is the first year New Hampshire has participated.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance learning opportunities and inspire our students to pursue careers in math, science and engineering. Our nation is a nation of problem-solvers and I see this as a way to develop the skills and stimulate more interest among young people in addressing the challenges facing our nation,” Kelly said.

“It’s exciting because students will have the opportunity to apply skills and compete with each other for the best solutions,” she added

Senator Kelly is chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee and a member of the Advanced Manufacturing Education Advisory Council. She recently attended an education conference in San Francisco on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The state Department of Education will help enroll and support schools and teachers that choose to participate. Students and teachers involved in the program will have access to some of the same computer assisted design and modeling software used by professionals and access to mentors from industry, government and major universities around the country.

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NH Children WIN!!!!

Governor Lynch signs the vital bill sponsored by Senator Kelly ensuring an adequate education for New Hampshire's children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, July 14, 2009 Contact: Senator Molly Kelly

(603) 271-4153
EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY BILL SIGNED INTO LAW

CONCORD – A multi-year legislative effort to reform the state system for funding public schools drew to a close today with the signing of legislation that will hold schools accountable for providing an adequate education.

“This important legislation represents the final piece of a three-year legislative effort to define, determine the cost and ensure accountability for delivering the opportunity for an adequate education under a ruling of the New Hampshire Supreme Court,” said Senator Molly Kelly (D-Keene), who sponsored Senate Bill 180.

“I am proud of the progress that has been made and I am honored to stand here with you today putting to rest decades of litigation,” she added.

Senate Bill 180 follows two years of work by lawmakers that included numerous forums around the state to gather input on what the state’s basic educational requirements should contain. In the first year, lawmakers spelled out the elements of an adequate education to include certain academic subjects and added a new statewide requirement for kindergarten.

Last year, lawmakers developed a funding plan that allocates aid based on such factors as the number of teachers needed for a given number of pupils, special education needs and the percentage of low-income students in a school.
“Now in Senate Bill 180 we’ve developed a sensible system to ensure that money is well spent and that our students are getting the opportunities they need to become educated and productive members of our society,” Kelly said.
She also praised the Legislature for its commitment to the new plan, increasing state aid to schools by $123 million over the next two years.

“Now, we have the opportunity to move forward, to continue to work together and to share creative ideas with renewed energy, moving education into the 21st century,” she said.
2008 Press Releases

Wednesday, March 5, 2008
SENATE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS EDUCATION COSTING PLAN
2007 Press Releases

Tuesday, May 29, 2007
AMENDMENT TO ADEQUACY DEFINITION ADDRESSES ENHANCED NEEDS

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
SENATORS CELEBRATE SIGNING OF RESTAURANT SMOKING BAN