Establishing a program for enrichment scholarships for gifted students and making an appropriation therefor.
HB 747 establishes a new “Enrichment Scholarship” program within the New Hampshire Department of Education for gifted students who attend public elementary or secondary school and are state residents. Eligible students could receive scholarships of up to $1,000 per year, with funds placed in an account for parents to use on approved enrichment expenses such as tutoring, online learning, individual classes, textbooks and curriculum, technology, educational software, summer programs, and certain therapies. The bill defines gifted students broadly, including students with exceptional intellectual, academic, creative, leadership, artistic, musical, or psychomotor abilities, and it expressly includes twice-exceptional students with disabilities.
The bill creates an application and review process, including a department review panel with at least one person trained in gifted identification and programming. It requires the department to determine eligibility using a body of evidence that may include statewide assessment results, other data, and parent/teacher input. It also sets rules for parent agreements, provider approval, audits, misuse enforcement, and appeals, and it directs the department to maintain a list of scholarship service providers and to protect provider independence, including religious providers.
HB 747 also amends state law to create a new administrator position in the Department of Education to coordinate the program and provide technical assistance, and it appropriates money for that position, contracted eligibility services, and scholarship awards. The fiscal note estimates a General Fund appropriation of $1.19 million in FY 2026 and $1.0 million in FY 2027, with expenditures described as indeterminable because the department had not yet provided complete information. The bill states that scholarship funds are not taxable income to parents or students.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive of expanding educational options for gifted students and providing targeted enrichment opportunities beyond the regular school setting. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate broader legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s sponsor-backed introduction.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the cost of the program, the administrative burden on the Department of Education, and the policy choice to use public funds for individualized enrichment services outside the traditional classroom. The bill also builds in protections for private and religious scholarship service providers, which could draw attention from those concerned about public funding flowing to nonpublic entities, while supporters may emphasize parental choice, gifted education, and flexibility for twice-exceptional students.
The bill would add a new chapter to RSA 194 creating a state-administered enrichment scholarship program for gifted students, and it would add a new Department of Education position in RSA 21-N to administer the program. It also appropriates General Fund money for administration, contracted eligibility review, and scholarship payments, and it establishes new rules for eligibility, provider approval, audits, misuse enforcement, appeals, and nondiscrimination protections for participating providers, including religious providers. The program would affect public school and chartered public school students who qualify as gifted, as well as parents, scholarship service providers, and the Department of Education.
The bill appears generally favorable toward gifted education and school-choice-style enrichment funding, with the stated purpose of helping gifted students access specialized services and educational opportunities. The introduction of the bill and its detailed administrative framework suggest a policy intent to create a structured, accountable program rather than a broad voucher system. No committee testimony or vote record was provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support beyond the bill’s sponsorship and drafting.
Likely areas of contention include whether state funds should be used for enrichment services outside the public school system, whether the proposed appropriations are sufficient to cover both administration and scholarships, and how eligibility will be determined for gifted students. The bill’s inclusion of private, chartered, independent, and religious providers may also be controversial for some lawmakers or stakeholders concerned about public funding of nonpublic education. Supporters are likely to emphasize access, flexibility, and services for gifted and twice-exceptional students, while critics may focus on cost, oversight, and the potential diversion of funds from traditional public education.