New Hampshire stands at a hinge moment. In June and July, the state’s highest court confirmed what parents, taxpayers, and superintendents have felt for years: the state is underfunding an “adequate” education, and the Legislature must fix it.  At the same time, the court upheld the statewide education property tax (SWEPT), removing a legal cloud but not the underlying inequities driven by town-by-town property wealth. 

We can keep litigating and lurching from patch to patchwork—or we can make a deal with ourselves. Here’s the bargain New Hampshire needs: pair a real school-funding fix with serious zoning and housing reform so we lower the burden on homeowners, stabilize school budgets, and grow the tax base by adding homes people can actually afford.

Why now

• The courts have set the floor. The Supreme Court has made clear that current base per-pupil aid is unconstitutionally low. That’s not a suggestion; it’s an obligation.   
• SWEPT remains, but disparities do too. With SWEPT deemed constitutional, lawmakers can stop relitigating the tax and start redesigning how state dollars flow so a child’s education isn’t hostage to ZIP-code valuations. 
• Housing is the choke point. New Hampshire’s own programs—InvestNH 1.0 (ARPA) and 2.0 (state funds), plus the Housing Champions initiative—show that when we lower barriers, projects move. But the pipeline is far too thin, and local veto points remain plentiful. 

What to do (this session)

1. Meet the court mandate—honestly. Set base per-pupil aid at the empirically established cost and index it to inflation and special-education intensity, rather than back-filling with boutique “catagoricals.” Publish a transparent cost model each biennium and fund it.
2. Rationalize SWEPT. Keep a uniform statewide rate with state-level collection and full recapture so wealth-rich towns don’t hoard excess while neighbors scramble. Then cap the local share to prevent runaway mill rates that punish seniors and first-time buyers.
3. Legalize “starter homes” statewide. The Senate’s 2024 decision to kill an ADU expansion was a self-inflicted wound. Bring back a clean bill that allows at least two ADUs by right, including detached, with no bespoke local poison pills; consider a small-plex (2–4 unit) by-right option near town centers. 
4. Supercharge what already works. Make InvestNH 2.0 a standing revolving fund, not a one-off, and tie Housing Champion grants to measurable permitting reforms (timelines, fee transparency, and compliance audits). 
5. Backstop enforcement. The Housing Appeals Board exists; use it. Guarantee fast, low-cost appeals when projects that meet objective standards get slow-rolled. Publish HAB outcomes so residents can see which jurisdictions follow state law—and which don’t. 

The payoff

• Tax relief with integrity. A real state share for schools lowers local rates and stabilizes budgets without gimmicks.
• Homes for the workforce we say we want. Nurses, linemen, first-year teachers, and young families can actually live here—and spend here.
• A future that matches our motto. “Live Free or Die” rings hollow when the price of staying is a property tax bill bigger than your mortgage and a waiting list for any apartment under $2,000.

New Hampshire doesn’t need another blue-ribbon commission or another court deadline. It needs courage. Fund the constitutional promise to our kids, and free the private market to build the homes our communities need. That’s the bargain. Let’s make it.