N.H. Sen. Debra Altschiller urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to support enhanced transparency and accountability requirements for the state’s school voucher system, but Republicans who control the panel pushed back.

The Education Freedom Savings Account Oversight Committee will release a report next month with recommendations for changes to the taxpayer-funded program, which helps parents pay for their children’s costs of attending private, religious and home schools.

Echoing concerns of program opponents, Altschiller, D-Stratham, told the panel at its meeting last week that the state doesn’t adequately verify how the program spends money. Estimates are it will cost $27 million in public funds this year. In order to qualify, family income can’t exceed 350% of the poverty level, or $109,000 a year for a family of four.

“We don’t know where the money goes,” she said.

Once families qualify for the program, they don’t have to requalify in subsequent years even if their income grows. This means they get to stay in the program even if their income eventually exceeds the eligibility standards for participation.

“It doesn’t honor the program’s intention to let people stay in the program when their income is well over the entry level, so that’s someplace where we have the opportunity to tighten that up,” Altschiller said.

Sen. Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, who chairs the committee, opposed instituting a yearly requalification requirement, which is the focus of pending legislation. Similar bills have failed to gain traction previously in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

“Yes we have the opportunity to tighten things up,” Ward said. “But on the other hand, if you have a child who has started in a school and now mom or dad has a better job and they earn a little more, now you’re going to pull that kid out of the school and put them somewhere else because they’ve gone over the income limit?

“That disrupts a child’s education, and I don’t think that’s a particularly good thing.”

Altschiller said that work opportunities led her to move eight times in 11 years when her children were young, and this forced her children to change schools.

“It happens. It’s not great. Kids really don’t love it, but it does happen,” she said, adding that if parents are making more money they have the option of spending it on their children’s schooling rather than seeking money from the taxpayer-funded voucher system.

She also said there’s a lack of academic accountability in the program because private schools, unlike public schools, aren’t required to report about student education attainment.

Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, another member of the committee, said parents whose children are in the Education Freedom Accounts program are the best judges for how the program is performing.

He also said it’s important for students to have a variety of educational choices. Families have the choice of sending their kids to public school, home schools or private schools, and also have the choice of participating in the Education Freedom Accounts program, Ladd said.

“I’m saying it’s time to stop bickering between one choice and another and for us to support all these options available.”

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