About the Coalition- How we got here

April 19, 2006 - NH Supreme Court accepts State's appeal of lower ruling that ed funding law is unconstitutional.

March 8, 2006 - Hillsborough Superior Court Judge William Groff agrees with constitutional challenge to new ed funding law by Londonderry, Merrimack and the Coalition for Adequate Funding of Education.

Feb. 13, 2006 - Governor Lynch signs technical correction overwhelmingly passed by House and Senate that allows Donor communities to spend excess statewide property taxes on education in their own towns.

Aug. 10, 2005 - NH Education Department releases spreadsheet showing three Donor towns, rather than just one as expected, under new House Bill 616 education funding law.

July 16, 2005 - House Bill 616, targeted aid legislation virtually eliminating Donor towns but with a low Statewide Property Tax, becomes law without the Governor's signature. Two legal challenges later filed.

June 15, 2005 - NH House overwhelmingly concurs with Senate-passed amendments to House Bill 616 rather than risk return to previous law and numerous Donor towns.

June 9, 2005 - Senate first passes version of HB616 based on Governor Lynch's proposal backed by Coalition to eliminate the Statewide Property Tax and Donor towns, then minutes later adopts amendment by Sen. Gatsas that retains the SWPT but he says will eliminate all Donor towns but Hebron.

March 24, 2005 - House Education Committee retains the Coalition's HB684 for further study, passes melded HB616 that includes Governor's proposal built upon our principles.

Feb. 2, 2005 - Coalition's updated education funding plan is assigned Bill Number 684 and sent to the Education Committee.

Sept. 7, 2004 - Coalition Communities host Gubernatorial Candidates Forum with candidates John Lynch, Paul McEachern and Charles Tarbell. Incumbent Gov. Benson withdraws, citing scheduling conflict.

June 9, 2004 - Gov. Benson allows the SB302 education funding bill to become law after Legislature passes version reinstating Donor towns that was crafted by a House-Senate conference committee without public hearings. Conference Committee action later becomes center of two legal challenges.

Dec. 15, 2003 - House-Senate "Methods of Distribution of Education Aid Under Existing Law Committee" recommends Legislature do some tweaking of new education funding law, but retain the FY05 statewide property tax rate of $3.24 per $1,000. SB302 is introduced on Jan. 7, 2004.

September-December 2003 - Study committee seeks to fine-tune the new education funding law.

July 8, 2003 - Gov. Benson allows a new education funding bill approved by the Legislature (amended HB 608) to become law without his signature, eliminating all but two donor towns (Newington and New Castle) by Fiscal Year 2005. The Coalition calls it a major step forward, and offers to work with House-Senate committee that will report back by Nov. 15 on how the law can be fine-tuned. The Coalition also vows to continue working to persuade the Legislature to completely eliminate the statewide property tax.

May 22, 2003 - The Senate votes to kill HB 717, agreeing with the Senate Education Committee's recommendation that it be found "inexpedient to legislate" and instead adopts a plan by Sen. Ted Gatsas.

April 10, 2003 - The NH House passes the amended HB717, the Coalition's legislation related to targeted education aid amended to delay implementation by two years, and sends it to the Senate for consideration.

March 6, 2003 - The House Ways and Means Committee votes 15-6 to give HB717 an "ought to pass" recommendation. The Committee amends the bill to "de-couple" it from the constitutional amendment, CACR 13, which is retained in the Education Committee.

Jan. 30, 2003 - CACR 13, a constitutional amendment designed to accompany HB 717, is introduced by Rep. Gionet on behalf of the Coalition Communities and referred to House Education Committee.

Jan. 9, 2003 - House Bill 717 to target aid, the Coalition's bill developed after six months of work by nation's top education experts, is introduced by Rep. Edmond Gionet, R-Lincoln, and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Nov. 5, 2002 - New Governor and Legislature elected, bringing new hope to the Coalition Communities' effort to find a permanent solution to the education-funding problem.

June 13, 2002 - The Coalition Communities host an Education Funding Forum for gubernatorial candidates, all of whom promise to solve the education-funding problem.

April 25, 2002 - Senate refuses to participate in a Conference Committee on the House-passed HB1462 to sunset the statewide property tax after senators on April 16 voted to send it to a study committee.

April 11, 2002 - NH Supreme Court rules the State must make local school districts accountable for student performance as part of its duty to provide a constitutionally adequate education.

March 7, 2002 - The NH House defeats CACR 35, a constitutional amendment to eliminate Donor towns but passes HB1462 to sunset the statewide property tax as of Jan. 1, 2004.

January 2002 - CACR 35, proposed "hold harmless" constitutional amendment to eliminate Donor communities, is introduced in the NH Legislature with major bipartisan leadership support.

Sept. 10, 2001 - New Castle selectmen hold a public hearing on a petition to invoke Article 10 of the NH Constitution, the Right of Revolution. About 80 people attend.

Sept. 5, 2001 - The five towns that filed the original suit challenging how New Hampshire pays for education - Claremont, Allenstown, Pittsfield, Franklin and Lisbon - take the State back to court, asking the NH Supreme Court to declare the new system unconstitutional and to set a deadline for a new plan.

Sept. 4, 2001 - The NH Supreme Court, on the same 3-2 vote as before, refuses to reconsider overturning the Rockingham County Superior Court judge's ruling that the state property tax is unconstitutional.

Aug. 29, 2001 - Rye selectmen hold a public hearing on a petition to invoke Article 10, 150 people attend.

July 31, 2001 - Over 250 people attend a public hearing on a petition to the Newington Board of Selectmen to invoke Article 10 of the NH Constitution, the Right of Revolution.

June 26, 2001 - State Legislature approves a tax package to fund the FY 2003 budget that makes the state property tax permanent. Although the legislation appears to call for a reduction in the statewide property tax from $6.60 to $5.80 per $1,000 valuation in FY 2003, increased property values will end up costing communities an additional $16.4 million at this "lower" rate.

May 3, 2001 - NH Supreme Court, on a 3-2 vote, overturns Galway's decision. The court finds "serious" flaws but says there is no unconstitutionality, or "systematic pattern of disproportionate taxation."

February 2001 - State appeals Judge Galway's decision.

Jan. 17, 2001 - Rockingham County Superior Court Jude Galway rules the statewide property tax is unconstitutional, and the State must reimburse cities and towns the $884 million it has collected since 1999.

December 2000 - NH Supreme Court rejects a GOP-backed plan to distribute more school aid to poor communities by shifting some of the burden back on the local property tax.

October 17, 2000 - Judge Galway begins six-day hearing on the constitutional challenge to the statewide property tax.

December 1999 - Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell, Kenneth Fox and Russell Wakefield file a petition for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief challenging the constitutionality of the statewide property tax.

Nov. 3, 1999 - Legislature enacts HB 999 establishing an interim statewide property tax devoted to education and scheduled to expire in 2003. It sets a uniform tax rate of $6.60 per $1,000 valuation.

May 24, 1999 - Coalition of 22 donor communities forms to fight the statewide property tax.

April 1999 - Legislature enacts House Bill 117. It is based on a statewide property tax, and a series of smaller funding sources. It includes a five-year phase-in period for about 50 donor towns, later overturned.

February 1999 - Portsmouth officials testify against state property tax and warn legislators about its dubious constitutionality.

November 1998 - NH Supreme Court rejects the state's plea for more time to develop a fairer way to pay for schools.

June 1998 - NH Supreme Court rejects Gov. Shaheen's ABC school financing reform plan, which requires the state - not wealthy towns - to pay to help poor communities provide adequate schools.

December 17, 1997 - NH Supreme Court rules the system of funding education is unconstitutional because of widely varying tax burdens, and orders an equitable system implemented by April 1, 1999.

December 1996 - Judge George Manias rules State's system of relying on local property taxes for 90 percent of school funding provides children with an "adequate" education.

December 1993 - NH Supreme Court rules the state must provide a constitutionally adequate education (Claremont I).

June 12, 1991 - The towns of Claremont, Pittsfield, Allenstown, Franklin and Lisbon file a Superior Court suit questioning the way New Hampshire funds education.