Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of stories examining the top issues of concern for The Eagle-Tribune's 154 voters participating in the presidential campaign coverage project.

Students are not getting what they deserve.

First-time voters and veteran voters agree that education - from first grade all the way up to college - has some serious flaws that the next president needs to address.

The Eagle Tribune polled more than 150 voters from 16 communities in Southern New Hampshire. Sixty-three percent of them ranked public education among their top 10 concerns when deciding whom to support as the next president.

Voters said the standards associated with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, as well as the steep cost of a college education need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

No Child Left Behind was enacted by President Bush in 2001. The law aims to ensure that every child, regardless of race or disability, receives an education that meets federal and state standards. Student progress is measured through a series of standardized tests, and teacher competency is measured through a portfolio of work or series of tests.

Laurel Redden of Salem, who has three children in public school, said it's not the concept of the law she disagrees with, it's the execution.

"Personally, I'm very concerned that we're heaping testing upon testing on these kids," she said. "Basically, the first month of school is lost to testing and preparations. We're avoiding learning time, just to try to learn what they're learning. It's ridiculous."

Candidates have slightly different views on No Child Left Behind, but most agree the act needs more federal funding.

Democrats say they want to seriously change the law, while Republicans want to tweak it.

Republican Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, admitted "the law is not perfect," but he said he wouldn't overhaul it.

Tom Tancredo, a Republican congressman from Colorado, is the exception among Republicans. He has said he would overhaul the act.

Shelagh Mollohan, 18, has lived through this generation of standardized tests. She said she thinks overhauling the law is the way to go.

The Pinkerton Academy student said she's sure the testing isn't proving anything. She said she tries her best on the test, but she knows many of her peers don't.

"I don't like the whole idea of (No Child Left Behind). I can't really give you an alternative, but I can say kids don't care about it because it's not going to our record," she said. "It's not going to hurt us getting into college."

College is the other hot topic voters are concerned with.

Mollohan, a senior, said she will cast her first vote in the primary and will base part of her decision on which candidate is going to make college more affordable.

She's not alone; even those who graduated from college already think something needs to be done.

Hampstead resident John Sedensky, 74, is a retired academic dean. He calls the cost of a college education "astronomical."

Plaistow resident Jason Hoch, the town manager and father of a young child, calls it "a burden."

Redden, a Salem mother of three, calls it "uncontrollable."

Voters interviewed agree that candidates are spending too much energy focusing on how economically disadvantaged students can afford college, when middle-class families can barely afford it.

Many of the Democratic candidates, including New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, propose increasing the maximum amount available for Pell grants, a federal program that awards up to $4,000 a year to low-income students.

Redden said that's great, but something needs to be done for the middle class, too. With state universities costing up to $18,000 a year, it's almost inevitable that a student will need to take out some sort of loan.

Mollohan, the Pinkerton senior, has two older sisters and said she knows plenty of people who are struggling to pay their student loans. She has dreams of going to a private college such as Boston University or Notre Dame.

"I know I'm going to have to rely on loans, but the interest rates are so high, it's not right," she said. "I feel like loans should just be loans and it should become a nonprofit type of thing. Sending kids to college is part of expanding our economy with well-educated workers."

That's a message that she believes Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., echoes.

Mollohan said she recently talked with a volunteer from Obama's campaign. After her 15-minute discussion, Mollohan said she did some more research on the candidate's views, and so far she likes what he has to say.

"I like his whole idea of change," she said. "I'm young and I think we need change. One of his main focuses is the youth and the future, so I'm leaning toward him."

In addition to increasing the size of Pell grants, Obama has a plan that would allow college students to borrow more from the government instead of private banks - decreasing the amount of interest paid over time.

Democratic front-runners Clinton and John Edwards propose similar plans, which makes selecting a candidate to vote for difficult for Redden.

She said the only thing she knows for certain is she'll be voting for a Democrat.

"Democrats also seem to prioritize education versus their Republican counterparts, who seem to place a higher priority on supporting ongoing war and other military expenditures," she said.

Hoch, Plaistow's town manager, said he doesn't know which candidate he'll vote for. But, he said, the future is in the youth, and he's going to look at candidates' proposals for funding a college education.

While the 34-year-old has a secure job, he's still paying back student loans from graduate school and he doesn't want his new baby to be in the same situation. Hoch is hopeful there's a candidate out there who will give more tax credit to families who are struggling to pay their student loans.

"I look at the incentives, we're providing good, hard-working, middle-class families to send their kids to a private college and they're almost laughable compared to the total cost," Hoch said.

He said each year he's in disbelief when he does his taxes - the percentage of interest that he paid and can claim as a deduction is nowhere near what it should be for a country that wants to encourage well-educated employees.

"That deduction relative to what I paid is ridiculous," he said. "And I look at the other ways we're investing and handing out tax credits like it's candy, and wonder why we're doing it so miserly for education."