The Home Education Advisory Council (HEAC) is intended to support and advise the NH Department of Education regarding their work with the home education community and be a bridge to education agencies in the public-school arena. It is the only public board that represents the home-education community at the state level. It is established in state law RSA 193-A:10 with more definition of the function and purpose in Ed rules 315.09 and 10.
Members typically meet every-other month of the traditional school year, unless otherwise announced, to discuss relevant issues and happenings that impact the independent, unfunded, RSA 193-A home ed community.
GSHE publishes HEAC videos on our YouTube channel to benefit the home ed community. They are unedited, published without alternations or modifications.
Find HEAC members’ contact information on the NH Department of Education’s website page for HEAC. The public is welcome to attend in person at the DOE’s Concord office or via Zoom. Details are available at the bottom of this article.
July 24, 2025
Summary
HEAC does not typically meet in July. However, a special meeting was scheduled for July 24, 2025, with the specific purpose of finalizing the council’s annual report for the 2024–2025 school year. At the June meeting, the date and time were carefully chosen to ensure that all voting members could attend. Members Dianne Nolin (CUHE) and Althea Barton (NHHC) had previously agreed to the date but did not provide advance notice of their absence. As a result, the council fell short of a quorum and could not take official action on the report.
Members initially believed they still had a quorum. Tim Carney clarified, after consultation with attorney Liz Brown, that “Commissioner-appointed” seats on the council—even if unfilled—count toward the quorum requirement. Chair Marcus Zuech (GSHE) explained that this rule has the practical effect of making it difficult for HEAC to function when seats are vacant. Rep. Margaret Dryer emphasized that statute requires a functioning HEAC and suggested members contact legislators to urge that vacant seats be filled. She and Heather Barker (NHSAA) also noted the need to request a statutory change to the quorum rule.
Once members realized they did not have a quorum, there was discussion about how to proceed. Barker expressed reluctance to continue working on the report without the other perspective represented. Michelle Rohrbacher (CHENH/SME) reminded the council that at the prior meeting, members were invited to send edits to the Chair in advance so their input could be incorporated even if they were absent.
In preparation for this meeting, Becky Anderson (Prax) was the only member to submit suggested edits. Her draft revisions aimed for more observational language while still acknowledging that HEAC discussed challenges related to the EFA program, as well as its statutory mission to address the 193-A home education pathway. Anderson expressed disappointment that her effort to produce broadly acceptable language could not be considered due to the lack of quorum.
Chair Zuech noted that absent members have consistently opposed including any mention of EFA in the report, and that their absence prevented a decision on this matter. He also commented that further delay increases public awareness of the unresolved issues.
Although no official business (motions and votes) could be conducted, members present used the time to discuss:
- Refining report language.
- Stressing the importance of filling council vacancies with the incoming commissioner.
- Growing concerns about conflation of the 193-A home education pathway and the EFA program.
- HEAC’s role in commenting on policy, rulemaking, and legislation affecting home education.
- Suggestions for amending statutes to clarify distinctions between 193-A and 194-F.
During public comment, Amanda Weeden clarified her position on the non-germane amendment misrepresented at the previous meeting and described her efforts to collaborate in opposing it. She expressed support for HEAC’s work but frustration with behavior that prevents the council from functioning effectively. Other comments included concerns about restrictive legislation emerging in other states, the importance of protecting home education freedoms in statute, and disappointment that the report was not completed at this meeting.
As next steps, members who were present agreed to continue refining the draft collaboratively via email in preparation for the September meeting.
Next Meetings
HEAC meets at the NH Department of Education’s office at 25 Hall Street in Concord on the second Friday of alternating months starting at 2:30pm, unless announced otherwise. The public may attend in-person or online. Zoom meeting information is available here. The scheduled 2024-25 meeting dates are as follows.
An initial schedule for the 2025-26 HEAC year is as follows:
September 12, 2025
October 10, 2025 if needed
November 14, 2025
December 12, 2025 if needed
Links to meeting minutes and members’ contact information are available on the NH DOE’s HEAC page.
Read More About HEAC
HEAC Faces Political Retaliation for Fulfilling Its Mission
HEAC Seeks Clarity re Home Education
HEAC Attempts to Improve Home Ed Communication
HEAC is Focused on Home Ed and the EFA is Public Education
HEAC Struggles to Define Mission and Statutory Obligations
Response to HEAC’s September 2024 Meeting
Confusion About Terminating a Home Ed Program
Written by Deb Sullivan and Michelle Levell
