HB 542: Rep. Cohn's Amendment -- Please Support!

Rep. Seth Cohn, R-Canterbury, has proposed the following amendment:

NH RSA 193:1 Duty of Parent; Compulsory Attendance by Pupil.

V. No district shall compel a parent to send his child to any school
or program to which he may be conscientiously opposed, nor shall
any district approve or disapprove a parent's education program
or curriculum.

This amendment adds nothing new to statute that isn't already in effect via court decisions or the statute for regulating private schools, RSA 186:11. However, it is extremely useful in that it places a marker into statute to prevent parents from sliding back down a slippery slope each year, arguing against the same increases in state regulation.

Support for this amendment to HB 542 would redeem Republicans who promised to uphold the rights of homeschoolers.

Please contact all members of the House Education Committee and ask that they vote HB 542 OTP (ought to pass) with the Cohn amendment.

The committee will vote in executive session on Wednesday, March 9th at 10:15 am in LOB (Legislative Office Building) Room 207.