The Department of Education views its mission as "providing educational leadership and services which promote equal educational opportunities and quality practices and programs that enable New Hampshire residents to become fully productive members of society". In compiling information on the provision of education services, the Center learned that the state may be out of compliance in reporting data to the federal government as required by law under the Safe Schools Act and the IDEA.

"The state board of education shall adopt rules relative to safe school zones, under RSA 541-A, for public school pupils and public school employees regarding: (a) disciplinary proceedings, including procedures assuring due process.(2) standards and procedures which shall require expulsion of a pupil for knowingly possessing a firearm in a safe school zone without written authorization."

12.08% of all public school students for the 1998-1999 school year in New Hampshire, or approximately 27,500 students aged 3-21, have been identified as educationally disabled which is slightly below the 50-state average of 13.13%.

The breakdown by type of placement of 3-21 year old educationally disabled students in New Hampshire versus the national average in the 1997 - 1998 school year is as follows:

The private residential placement number is 5.7 times higher than the national average while New Hampshire's public residential number is marginally lower and day placements higher than the average.

The school age population for grades 1-12 in public, private and catholic schools in the 1998-1999 school year totaled 227, 690 youth.

The statewide withdrawal rate in New Hampshire during the 1998-1999 school year was 2.99%; during that year the poorest community had a 6.79% withdrawal rate.

Every 6 minutes, a New Hampshire public school student was suspended from school in 1998.