U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) visited Franklin Pierce University’s Rindge campus Wednesday, meeting with administrators about funding challenges and holding a town hall with students to discuss issues ranging from education and housing to health care.
Goodlander began her visit with a tour of the university’s Marcucella Health Sciences building, where she learned about Franklin Pierce programs and discussed the need for state and federal support to improve undergraduate enrollment and retention, develop New Hampshire’s workforce and expand the university’s health professions programs that serve rural communities.
During the town hall, Goodlander spoke with students pursuing education-related careers about school funding.
“I really believe education is the guardrail in democracy,” said Goodlander, when speaking on the importance of education, adding that she is concerned about what she described as the “systematic dismantling” of the U.S. Department of Education.
She also addressed New Hampshire’s housing crisis, saying the state must balance school funding — which relies heavily on property taxes — with keeping housing affordable. Goodlander said the average age of a first-time homebuyer in New Hampshire is now 40.
“That’s a grim outlook,” Goodlander said.
Goodlander said property taxes are part of the issue, but so are limited housing supply and rising costs such as utilities.
She said the housing crisis is also tied to the way the state funds education, noting that as federal funding streams for schools decline, property taxes increase.
“Something’s going to have to give,” Goodlander said.
Changing how schools are funded would be difficult, she said, likely requiring changes to state law and possibly the New Hampshire Constitution. Still, she said conversations with communities across the state suggest the current reliance on property taxes is no longer working.
New Hampshire currently ranks 50th among states in per-pupil education funding. Goodlander said the “root of the root of the issue” is the state’s limited funding sources.
“There’s no more juice to squeeze,” out of property owners, Goodlander said, adding that the state can look to other states for ideas on how to structure school funding.
Goodlander also addressed access to reproductive health care, saying parts of New Hampshire have become “health care deserts,” particularly for specialized reproductive services.
“This has cost us lives,” Goodlander said. She said the issue was compounded by the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, and cuts to health care funding.