This bill (LB 538A) allocates $138,227 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $137,431 for 2026-27 from Nebraska’s General Fund to the State Department of Education’s Program 25. It provides funding specifically to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 538 (the parent bill), which is not described in this text. The bill sets limits on salary and per diem expenses ($66,197 for 2025-26 and $68,348 for 2026-27). As a funding measure, it does not create new policy but enables the execution of another bill’s provisions.
Legislative Resolution 228 proposes an interim study by Nebraska's Education Committee to examine compensation for faculty who primarily teach in the state's public colleges and universities. The study will review current pay scales, compare salaries with neighboring states, analyze disparities across academic disciplines, and assess how faculty pay affects student retention and graduation rates. It will also explore potential funding solutions and alternative compensation models like cost-of-living adjustments. The committee will report findings and recommendations to the Legislature, but the resolution itself does not change current pay policies.
This resolution (LR 144) proposes an interim study to examine creating an apprenticeship-based pathway for individuals with equivalent education and professional experience to become K-12 teachers in Nebraska. It would specifically study barriers in current certification, best practices from other states, necessary teaching skills training, and how school districts and the State Board of Education could oversee such programs. The study aims to address teacher shortages, particularly in rural and high-need areas, by evaluating whether an apprenticeship model could maintain quality while expanding the teacher workforce. This is a study request only - no policy change is enacted by the resolution itself.
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.
This bill appropriates $13.06 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $14.06 million for fiscal year 2026-27 from the General Fund to support dual enrollment programs at Nebraska community colleges. Funds must be distributed based on each college's reported dual-credit course enrollment data, with the goal of reducing tuition costs for high school students taking college courses. The legislation explicitly states these funds may only be used to discount tuition for dual-enrollment courses that count toward both high school graduation and college credit. It directly affects community colleges and high school students participating in dual-credit programs across Nebraska.
This bill expands Nebraska's Educational Savings Plan Trust to include savings plans for elementary and secondary school expenses, previously limited to higher education. It amends multiple statutes (including 85-1801 to 85-1817 and 72-1239.01) to define and include K-12 education savings accounts within the trust framework. The change directly affects public and private elementary/secondary schools by allowing families to use these savings plans for K-12 costs. Key provisions clarify that assets in these accounts will not count toward eligibility for certain state assistance programs, aligning K-12 savings with existing higher education tax benefits. The bill focuses on structural updates to the trust rather than new tax policies.
LB 538 requires all Nebraska school boards and postsecondary institutions (like colleges and universities) to adopt written policies prohibiting discrimination - including antisemitism - based on race, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics. The policies must include specific measures like ensuring equal access to programs, prohibiting biased admission criteria, and integrating the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into student and employee conduct codes. Each school must also provide antisemitism awareness training and report incidents to a new State Department of Education Title VI coordinator, who will monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and submit annual reports to the legislature. The bill harmonizes existing requirements under federal Civil Rights law without altering First Amendment protections.
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.
This resolution (LR 204) directs Nebraska's Education Committee to conduct an interim study on burnout among K-12 teachers. The study will examine specific factors like excessive workloads, classroom discipline challenges, low salaries, staff shortages, funding issues, and safety concerns, and assess how burnout affects both teachers and students. It will also explore potential state-level solutions to reduce burnout and improve teacher retention. As a procedural resolution, it does not enact new policy but seeks to gather data for future legislative decisions. The committee will report findings and recommendations to the Legislature after completing the study.
This resolution (LR 189) directs Nebraska's Education Committee to conduct an interim study on how the state funds public schools through the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act formula. The study will examine fairness across all school districts, efficiency in using tax resources, and funding stability during economic changes. It specifically aims to evaluate ways to increase state aid to schools and reduce reliance on property taxes. The committee will report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature after completing the study. This is a procedural step to inform future school funding policy, not a law changing current funding.
