Education Freedom Accounts have helped a third of families at Trinity High and St. Joseph Junior High

TO THE EDITOR:

On behalf of Trinity High School and St. Joseph Junior High School, thank you for your article in the June 7 edition featuring the expansion and renovation of the Trinity campus that will permanently bring St. Joseph students on-site this September.

Like every Catholic school in the Diocese of Manchester, Trinity and St. Joseph are committed to providing the best possible educational opportunities to students.

Our schools empower and partner with families by respecting parental authority to make the right educational decisions for their children.

It is important to clarify that the Education Freedom Accounts (EFA) mentioned in the article are not an extra burden for taxpayers to shoulder. New Hampshire families earning up to 350% of the poverty line can direct part of the funds already allocated in the state education budget to their children to pay for tuition at the school of their choice, or opt for online learning programs, tutoring or educational supplies. The opportunity to direct this funding has been transformational for one-third of the families at Trinity and St. Joseph.

As regional schools, Trinity and St. Joseph serve students from more than 40 towns. The current work to expand Manchester’s four public middle schools is in no way diminished by the work happening on the Bridge Street campus. Rather, it demonstrates that we hold a shared goal of educating students with the best available resources, shaping them to become productive citizens of New Hampshire who will some day work together to uphold the common good.

DAVID THIBAULT SUPERINTENDENT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER

Have your own NH opinion? Send it to EDITOR@NHBR.COM