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HB 1358 · 2026 · House · Education Policy and Administration Committee

Studying charter school conversion

AI-generated

(New Title) establishing a commission to study transitioning all public schools to public charter schools.

Establishes a legislative commission, including school and education officials, to study the feasibility and impact of transitioning all New Hampshire public schools to operate as public charter schools, reporting by November 2026.AI-generated

Status

Vetoed by the governor — the override vote has not been held yet · July 10, 2026
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✓House
  3. ✓Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Governor's veto message

“As a proud product of New Hampshire public schools, I believe providing every child the opportunity and choice to attend a public school is important and necessary. While I fully support education freedom allowing every child to be in the learning environment best for them, including innovative public charter schools, I cannot envision a future that does not include public schools. Therefore, I believe this study committee is unnecessary. For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 1385.”
— Gov. Kelly Ayotte · Jul 2, 2026 · excerpt
Governor's press release

A passage from the Governor's veto message, quoted verbatim. The full message enters the record on veto day.

Analysis

This bill establishes a commission to study transitioning all public schools to public charter schools. This bill also amends one of the methods for converting a public school into a charter school.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as passed by both chambers.

“There is established a commission to study the feasibility and potential impact of transitioning all public schools in New Hampshire to operate as public charter schools and whether such a transition could relieve local property taxpayers, restore local control, and ensure that state education dollars are used more efficiently to benefit students and families.”
§ 194-B:21-a, I

The central aim, with its political framing written into the statute itself.AI-generated

“Study the potential benefits of restructuring all public schools in New Hampshire as public charter schools or other independent schools.”
§ 194-B:21-a, IV(a)

The ambition survived amendment: the study still contemplates converting every public school.AI-generated

“Examine funding models that would reduce reliance on local property taxes while increasing state level funding support.”
§ 194-B:21-a, IV(b)

Ties the charter question to New Hampshire's long-running school-funding and property-tax fight.AI-generated

“Identify any statutory changes that may be required to effectuate such a transition.”
§ 194-B:21-a, IV(e)

A tell that the idea would require legal overhaul — the House narrowed the introduced bill's "statutory or constitutional changes" to statutory only.AI-generated

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Jason OsborneRPrimeMajority Leader

Public testimony

1,043 signed in online · 350 wrote testimony

2% support98% oppose0% neutral

ForCharter schools are better than public schools

AgainstCharter conversion removes local, elected control

AI-generatedLeading arguments, summarized by the testimony tool.

Read the arguments

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“New Hampshire must keep high education standards and provide the infrastructure to do so. KOK”
— Kathleen O’Keefe, Amherstsupports
“I support this bill because public charter schools are better than public schools.”
— Samuel Hoehn, Lancastersupports
“Most public schools are providing a declining quality of education with an increasing cost. A dramatic change is needed in order to ensure our children a quality education at an affordable price.”
— Jay Schechter, Dublinsupports
“Charter Schools have not proven themselves to be better than our traditional district schools. Some cite the decline in math and reading test scores in our district schools, but they have not examined the scores of students in Charter Schools.…”
— Michael Cahill, Newmarket · Rockingham 10opposes
“The language of this bill seems to expect the outcome that a transition to charter schools is an inevitable conclusion of this study. Phrases like "potential benefits" and "increase local district flexibility, innovation, and autonomy" are too specific and pointed.…”
— Chesley Marvin, Nashuaopposes
“I am strongly against transitioning public schools into charter schools. There is minimum oversight and there will be inequities and fly by night schools that come and go. This will not serve our NH students.…”
— Ingrid markman, hollisopposes

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 24, 2026Public hearingHouse Education Policy and Administration1:34:16–2:31:0556m 49s
  • Mar 2, 2026Executive sessionHouse Education Policy and Administration2:34:24–2:50:5016m 26s
  • Mar 11, 2026Floor debateHouse floor5:29:41–5:35:305m 49sTimestamp located by Whisper transcription (this session video has no YouTube captions); the 169-163 roll call confirms the bill.
  • Apr 21, 2026Public hearingSenate Education2:04–41:1839m 14s
  • May 7, 2026Floor debateSenate floor1:41:51–1:43:451m 54s
  • May 21, 2026Floor debateHouse floor58:40–1:02:253m 45s

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced

Legislative history

  1. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 1 P. 17
  2. Feb 24, 2026HousePublic Hearing: 02/24/2026 11:00 am GP 232
  3. Mar 2, 2026HouseExecutive Session: 03/02/2026 09:30 am GP 232
  4. Mar 2, 2026HouseMajority : Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-0924h (NT) 03/02/2026 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 10 P. 37
  5. Mar 4, 2026HouseMinority : Inexpedient to Legislate
  6. Mar 11, 2026HouseAmendment # 2026-0924h (NT): AA VV 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 131
  7. Mar 11, 2026HouseOught to Pass with Amendment 2026-0924h: MA RC 169-163 03/11/2026 HJ 7 P. 132
  8. Mar 12, 2026SenIntroduced 03/12/2026 and Referred to Education; SJ 7
  9. Apr 21, 2026SenHearing: 04/21/2026, Room Map Room, SL, 09:15 am; SC 15
  10. May 7, 2026Sen: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1727s, 05/07/2026, Vote 3-2; SC 17
  11. May 7, 2026SenCommittee Amendment # 2026-1727s, AA, VV; 05/07/2026; SJ 11
  12. May 7, 2026SenOught to Pass with Amendment # 2026-1727s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 05/07/2026; SJ 11
  13. May 21, 2026HouseHouse Concurs with Senate Amendment 2026-1727s (Rep. Noble): MA RC 184-164 05/21/2026 HJ 14 P. 5
  14. Jun 4, 2026SenEnrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 06/04/2026); SJ 14
  15. Jun 4, 2026HouseEnrolled (in recess of) 06/04/2026 HJ 15
  16. Jul 2, 2026HouseVetoed by Governor Ayotte 07/02/2026

Coverage

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

  • What Are Charter Schools?Explainer

    Education Week — A plain-language primer on how charter schools are funded and governed, and the tradeoffs of their independence.AI-generated

  • National Charter School Study III (2023)Academic — national evidence

    CREDO · Stanford — The most-cited national study of charter outcomes: charter students gained modestly more in reading and math than matched public-school peers, with special-education students an exception.AI-generated

  • Key Conclusions from the New Orleans school reformsAcademic — the all-charter precedent

    Education Research Alliance for New Orleans (Tulane) — Nonpartisan researchers' findings on what happened when New Orleans became the nation's only all-charter district — the one real-world analog to HB 1358's proposal.AI-generated

  • The New Orleans Case for All-Charter School DistrictsPro-charter

    Education Next — A reform-oriented argument that district-wide charter conversion drove measurable gains in New Orleans and offers a model for other systems.AI-generated

  • School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from New OrleansCritical

    Brookings — Analysis warning that charter-based choice — including in New Orleans — tends to modestly increase school segregation rather than reduce it.AI-generated

  • Public Charter Schools in New HampshireNH context — official

    NH Department of Education — The state's own overview of how NH's ~38 public charter schools are authorized, governed, and funded (state pays roughly $10k/pupil vs. ~$19k in districts).AI-generated

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.