School Funding and Resources
New Hampshire relies mostly on property taxes to fund its public schools.
New Hampshire relies mostly on property taxes to pay for its public schools. More than 70% of a school’s funding comes from the property taxes in the town where it is located, while about 19% is provided from the state, and the remaining is from the federal government. The state’s reliance on property taxes means that students’ educational opportunities vary significantly based on where a student lives. Schools do not have the same amount of funding available to them to pay for things like school buildings, teacher salaries, materials, extracurricular activities, and more.
Does school funding improve outcomes?
Decades of research has shown that when public schools are sufficiently funded in a sustained manner, students do better academically, are more likely to graduate high school, and have higher lifetime earnings. This is especially true for students who are furthest from opportunity -- including students from low-income families, who live in poorer neighborhoods, and those of traditionally excluded backgrounds.
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Effective school funding is:
Telling the Story of School Funding.
When Jacob moves to another town halfway through his junior year, his high school experience feels like a different world. Follow his journey as he learns more about New Hampshire’s school funding system, how we got here, and what’s next.
This project is a collaboration of Reaching Higher NH, Partnership for the Future of Learning and MediaSutra Inc. Narrated by Liz Canada.
Education Funding Series:
The way New Hampshire pays for its schools has been a hot topic for decades. Here we unpack important elements of the education funding so that more Granite Staters can join the conversation and make informed decisions.
The Latest: School Funding
In an effort to keep Granite Staters well informed about the state of our public education system and the policy that impacts it, Reaching Higher NH is proud to provide in-depth research and analysis. Explore our recent content below.
The 2026 Legislative Session
Here are the School Funding bills the NH State Legislature is currently considering: