88 STATION BULLETIN 346 



By wa}' of summary. New Hampshire highways are divided into 

 three major systems: the primary or trunk line, the secondary or state 

 aid, and the town system. The primary and secondary systems are 

 financed largely out of revenue derived from a three-cent gas tax and 

 the motor vehicle tax, nearly all of which are now expended directly 

 for highway purposes. At this time, towns contribute nothing to the 

 primary system, and the state contributes but little to the maintenance 

 of town roads. The state is increasing its mileage in the secondary 

 system, the construction of which is financed by joint funds to which 

 the state contributes heavily. The inclusion of road mileage in the 

 secondary system for winter maintenance has not kept pace with road 

 mileage maintained for summer use. The largest single class of ex- 

 penditures on all the highways within the state is that of towns for 

 maintenance of Class V highways, which comprise more than two- 

 thirds of the total mileage in the state. Improvement of the sec- 

 ondary system depends by law on wdiether towns elect to receive 

 state aid for this system or for town road aid, and, therefore, town 

 lines may mark the limits of improvement. 



EDUCATION 



Public education is not a function of the town but rather of the 

 school district, a separate body politic from that of the town. The 

 school district has its annual meeting separate from the town meet- 

 ing; it elects its own officers and makes its own appropriations. The 

 amount of expenditures approved in the budget, less estimated in- 

 come (including state aid), is levied and collected by the town from 

 the property tax. These and other facts concerning public education 

 have already been discussed in previous sections. It remains here 

 mainly to explain the statutory provisions which provide for a coordi- 

 nated system of public education within the state. State supervision 

 over public education is more pronounced than state supervision of 

 other local governmental functions. 



The state board of education has been granted ". . . the same 

 powers of management, supervision and direction over all public 

 schools in this state as the directors of a business corporation have 

 over its business, except as otherwise limited by law. ... It shall 

 be the duty of school boards and employees of school districts to com- 

 ply with the rules and regulations of the state board." ^^ The duties 

 of the state board are specific and sufficiently broad to effect its ad- 

 ministrative powers. It has complete control over teacher training as 

 well as general supervision over superintendents, teachers, and pupils 

 in elementary and secondary schools, and apportions money appro- 

 priated by the state legislature for state aid to elementary schools. 

 Supervision of local finances is relatively greater in state-aided dis- 

 tricts. 



The smoothness of general supervision of public education de- 

 pends in no small measure upon the close harmony between local 

 school boards and the superintendent of their supervisory unions. 



«> Revised Laws, 1941, Chapter 134, Section 5. 



