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HB 1331 Enables Derry to absorb the Derry Cooperative School District as a town department.

Education In Committee

Enables Derry to absorb the Derry Cooperative School District as a town department.

Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?

3

Overall Impact Score

Harmful

Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)

4
💰

Your Wallet

Subjects school budget to Derry's municipal tax cap, potentially limiting education funding

3
🏘️

Your Community

Could set a precedent for other towns to absorb school districts under tax caps

3
⚖️

Your Freedom

Reduces school district independence from municipal government control

Status

Hearing held Feb 9, 2026. Status pending.

Sponsor

Unknown

The Short Version

Allows the Town of Derry (which has a tax cap) to incorporate the Derry Cooperative School District (which doesn't have one) as a town department. The concern is that this would subject the school district to Derry's municipal tax cap, effectively capping school spending. Impact on Hooksett students attending Pinkerton is unclear. This is a local bill but fits the broader pattern of using tax caps to constrain school budgets.

Who's Behind This Bill?

Who Benefits

  • ▲ Derry municipal government (gains control over school budget)

Who Pays the Price

  • ▼ Derry Cooperative School District (loses independence)
  • ▼ Students (school budget subject to municipal tax cap)

Roll Call Detail (1 vote)

Every recorded floor vote on this bill, with each legislator's individual vote. Click a name to see that rep's full record.

Who actually supports this bill?

Across the 1 recorded vote on this bill — counting each legislator's net direction and treating kill motions as opposing the bill — Republicans supported it ( 188 for , 1 against ) , and Democrats opposed it ( 5 for , 156 against ) .

"Supporting" means voting for passage OR voting against a kill motion. "Opposing" is the inverse. Concurs and amendment-only votes don't count.

Ought to Pass with Amendment 2026-03-05
Passed

YES = Pass the bill with the attached amendment. NO = Reject the bill (as amended).

188R + 5D
Voted to Pass (193)
1R + 156D
Voted Against (157)
28
Absent
14
Not voting
Show all 392 individual votes

Voted Yea (193)

Republicans (188)
Democrats (5)

Voted Nay (157)

Republicans (1)
Democrats (156)
Absent (28)

Alicia Gregg (D) , Charles Foote (R) , Charlie St. Clair (D) , David Milz (R) , David Nagel (R) , Gaby Grossman (D) , James Tierney (R) , Jeffrey Tenczar (R) , Jodi Nelson (R) , John Suiter (R) , Kathleen Paquette (R) , Katy Peternel (R) , Kevin Verville (R) , Linda Franz (R) , Lorie Ball (R) , Matt Drew (R) , Matthew Coker (R) , Merryl Gibbs (D) , Michael Murphy (R) , Myles England (D) , Peter Lovett (D) , Peter Varney (R) , Sheri Minor (R) , Sherman Packard (R) , Stephanie Payeur (D) , Thomas Buco (D) , Tim Mannion (R) , Travis Toner (R)

Full Analysis

This is a local bill with statewide implications. Derry's municipal government operates under a tax cap. The Derry Cooperative School District does not. HB 1331 would allow the town to absorb the school district as a municipal department — which would bring the school district under the town's tax cap.

The practical effect is to cap school spending at Derry's municipal tax cap level, regardless of what the school district needs. This is a backdoor way to impose budget restrictions on schools that voters haven't directly approved through the school district's own governance process.

While this is technically a Derry-only bill, the precedent matters. If a municipality can absorb its school district to impose a tax cap, other towns could follow the same model. It's a template for neutering school district independence across the state.

Read the Actual Bill → See All Bills

Bill statuses as of May 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.