LB 303 creates the School Financing Review Commission, a 18-member group including education officials, school district representatives, and community members. The commission will evaluate Nebraska's school funding formula under the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, review resource and student need factors, and recommend changes to help prevent property tax increases. It will also analyze how school funding impacts student outcomes like attendance, literacy, and graduation rates. The bill additionally modifies budget rules to allow school districts to exceed general fund budget limits under the act.
LB 306A is an appropriations bill that allocates specific state funds to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 306. It provides $2,000 (FY2025-26) and $5,000 (FY2026-27) from the Auditor of Public Accounts Cash Fund, $569,833 (FY2025-26) and $410,981 (FY2026-27) from the General Fund to the State Department of Education, $250,000 annually for state aid programs, and $192,800 (FY2025-26) and $195,000 (FY2026-27) to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. These funds are designated for specific programs (525, 25, 158, and 781) to carry out Legislative Bill 306’s provisions, with spending limits on salaries and per diems. The bill does not create new policy but provides targeted financial resources for existing legislative priorities.
LB 428 requires Nebraska school districts to notify parents or guardians 15 days before administering surveys asking students about sensitive topics like sexual health, mental health, medical issues, substance use (drugs/vape/alcohol/tobacco), or political/religious views. Parents gain the right to review surveys in person, receive a copy, or opt their child out of participation. The bill specifically prohibits schools from surveying students in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual health. It applies directly to all public school districts and families with K-12 students in Nebraska.
LB 84 adopts the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact, allowing Nebraska-licensed school psychologists to practice in other participating states without duplicative licensing requirements. This directly affects school psychologists seeking to work across state lines, including military members and their spouses who relocate frequently. The key mechanism establishes a standardized pathway for verifying qualifications and issuing equivalent licenses, while requiring practitioners to follow each state's specific scope of practice rules. This aims to improve access to school psychological services by addressing workforce shortages through increased professional mobility.
LB 143 amends Nebraska's student enrollment law to extend military family enrollment protections to students with disabilities or special education needs. It requires school districts to apply their existing preliminary enrollment policies for military families - including no-charge enrollment upon arrival - to students with individualized education programs (IEPs), individualized family service plans (IFSPs), or those receiving special education services under federal law. This ensures military-connected students who require special education accommodations have equal enrollment access during relocations. The change directly affects military families with children who have disabilities or special education needs, streamlining their school enrollment process without altering other residency rules.
LB 296 requires Nebraska's State Department of Education to create a centralized system for tracking education records of students under juvenile court jurisdiction, ensuring their academic progress isn't disrupted during court involvement. The bill mandates hiring registrars to manage these records, analyze completed coursework, and award appropriate credit hours for students who finish classes while in the juvenile system. It also updates graduation requirements to include mandatory personal finance courses (starting 2023-24) and computer science education (starting 2027-28). The centralized system and registrars will be funded through the State Department of Education Improvement Grant Fund.
