PLAINFIELD — The future of education was a point of contention during Saturday's annual School District and Town meetings.

A majority of the approximately 250 people in attendance at the School District meeting — about 14% of the town’s 1,826 registered voters — supported a $1.5 million renovation to a portion of the K-8th grade Plainfield School. 

 Additionally, voters at Town Meeting approved an article to petition state offi cials to stop public funds from going toward tuition assistance for private schools. Supporters of the article argued there must be more transparency and regulation before adopting the change.

The Plainfield School’s renovation project needed approval from at least 60% of voters to pass, which was accomplished in a paper ballot vote of 175-86, or 67%.

The renovation will be on “the most aged section” of the school and will produce multi-purpose rooms, common spaces, and a small addition to the existing building. It will allow for “more interdisciplinary & project based learning,” stated the Plainfield School Board report. 

The project is being largely financed by an anonymous donor’s $1 million gift, which stipulated a match of $500,000 through a bond that is to be repaid through town property taxes. 

Many residents said the donation, which would only be available to Plainfield this year, was too great an opportunity to pass up. 

“I think it’s a good idea and it’s a time when we can get it at a good price,” said Ron Eberhardt, a member of the Selectboard. “I would encourage people to support it.”

But some did express concerns about the increase in property taxes that the bond repayment would require, especially in light of the current uncertainty of federal programs.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen to Social Security, Medicare, and my veteran benefits, and (the increase in taxes) scares me,” said Betsy Green, a Plainfield voter. 

Voters also easily approved a school operating budget of $8.74 million for the 2025-26 school year, 162-54. 

During the Town Meeting, voters approved a new budget of $3.13 million, voting 127-22.

The penultimate article, a petition to state officials about private schools receiving funding through public tax dollars, was also debated at the Town Meeting.

The article sends a message to the governor and legislators to reject “any expansion of taxpayer funding for private education until we have full accountability, transparency, and a sustainable funding plan that ensures no further strain on public schools or local property taxpayers.”

Voters ultimately opted to send the message to state officials, 118-20.

The state’s Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) program was created to provide tuition assistance for lower-income students to have access to more specialized education through attending private schools or being homeschooled.

There’s a push in the legislature, however, to make a major change to the program that would allow households at any income level eligible for tuition assistance at nonpublic schools.

Voters’ main concerns about the program, which uses public funds for private schools or homeschoolers, were the lack of available reports on the use of public funds, the lack of regulation of curriculum, and the loss of money for New Hampshire public schools.

Marc Ramsey, who has four children attending Plainfield School, supported continued taxpayer funding of nonpublic schools as an alternative for some families, but argued more taxpayer money should go to public schools.

“I think it’s reasonable for (students who don’t attend public schools) to see some benefit from their tax dollars, particularly for lower income families,” Ramsey said.

Taxpayer money, however, “should prioritize public education and for that reason there should be limits on the amount of an EFA,” he added.

In response, state Rep. Margaret Drye, R-Plainfield, brought up the 2024 state Children’s Scholarship Fund report. “Nonpublic schools have to follow all the rules and regulations that the statutes have for public schools,” Drye said.

Lukas Dunford can be reached at lukasdunf@gmail.com.