Lawmakers this Congress introduced two omnibus education measures that would allow certain school districts to allow security guards to carry firearms on school grounds, fund computer science teacher training, and increase funding for teacher recruitment and retention programs. Approved the package.
Omnibus measures
LB1329 was introduced by Glenville Sen. Dave Murman and served as one of two omnibus bills in the Education Committee. This bill would update the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act and transfer its administration from the State Department of Economic Development to the Postsecondary Education Coordinating Board.
Additionally, the bill expands the definition of “first-time freshman” to include dual-enrolled graduates, updates scholarship eligibility to a 3.0 GPA or higher, and considers all eligible programs, retention rates, and graduation data. We match our reporting with census data to ensure that.
LB1329 also amends the language regarding the State Board of Education's policy regarding truancy and allows the board of education to determine the duration of behavioral intervention training for employees.
The bill includes provisions for several other measures considered by the committee.
The provisions of Sen. Gordon Tom Brewer's LB1339 would allow certain school districts to allow security guards and off-duty law enforcement to carry firearms on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities.
Participating school districts are required to have written policies regarding qualifications, training, and appropriate use of force. This provision does not apply to public elementary or middle schools in Class III, IV, or V school districts.
Other measures included in LB1329 include:
●LB231. Introduced by Lincoln Sen. George Dungan to direct school districts to notify parents in writing regarding excessive absences.
● LB550, sponsored by Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln. K-12 students can attend public schools outside of their district three times before graduation, once in elementary school, middle school, and high school.
●LB673. Introduced by Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, it provides grants to schools that adopt policies that provide emergency response mapping data to law enforcement agencies.
● LB855, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Conrad of Lincoln, would require school districts to contract with collection agencies to assess or collect interest, fees, or other penalties on unpaid debts on students' school lunch or breakfast accounts. prohibit.
● LB962, introduced by Omaha State Sen. Justin Wayne, would require public schools to use only Gall Peters or AuthaGraph projections for instructional purposes in the classroom.
●LB1012. Sponsored by Fremont State Sen. Lynn Walz, it would allow Qualified Capital Purpose Business Funds to be used for abatement projects that address school safety infrastructure concerns.and
●LB1385. Introduced by U.S. Sen. Kathleen Kaus of Omaha, it streamlines the application process for teacher licensure approval and creates reciprocity in licensure issuance between states.
The Senate passed LB1329 on a 40-0 vote.
Walz's LB1284 was utilized as the second committee omnibus package. This measure provides funding and resources to implement the provisions of the Computer Science, Technology and Education Act of 2022 passed by Congress.
LB1284 was approved by a vote of 42-0 and requires the state Department of Education to hire or contract computer science professionals to develop and deliver computer science educator training for teachers. This training is available to all teachers in the state, including those pursuing supplemental certification in computer science.
The bill would also establish the Computer Science and Technology Education Fund, which would be administered by the department. The fund will receive $1 million from the Education Futures Fund by June 30, 2025, and $500,000 annually if the same amount of private funding is raised.
Also included are provisions in Elkhorn Sen. Lou Ann Linehan's LB1253, which provides grants for dyslexia research, and LB1254, which provides $1.8 million for the Reading Improvement Instruction Program in fiscal year 2025-26.
Other measures included in the package are:
● LB985 sponsored by Linehan. The Nebraska Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act clarifies that qualifications also require applicants to teach in the area of high-need certification.
●LB986. This was also introduced by Linehan. This amends the Nebraska Today Education Act and increases the total amount of grants awarded each year from $5 million to $10 million.
●LB1005. Sponsored by Walz, it provides technical changes to implement the provisions of the Board of Education Omnibus Bill of 2023.
● LB1014, also introduced by Walz, would reimburse school districts and educational service units for the cost of contracting with outside agencies to cover the required services of school psychologists.and
●LB1050. Create a pilot program sponsored by Conrad and administered by the state Department of Education to provide free menstrual products to school districts in the 2025-26 school year.
Funding and redemption
Several proposals regarding school funding and teacher compensation were considered this year.
LB 299, introduced by Linehan and passed 45-0, prohibits cooperative entities, including Nebraska school districts and educational services departments, from issuing bonds without approval by a majority of voters in a special election. ing. This limitation applies to cooperative public entities established after the effective date of the bill.
If a bond question is defeated, it cannot be submitted to voters again for at least six months.
The LB1331 introduced by Merman was dismantled and replaced by a modified version of Wayne's LB1231. The proposal was intended to serve as a companion bill to Linehan's LB388, the governor's failed property tax proposal. The two bills are designed to implement the Nebraska Education Formula and generate state revenue to fund additional property tax relief by increasing the annual foundation grant per student from $1,500 to $3,000. did.
LB1331 advanced to file selection but was not scheduled to participate in the second round of debate.
Walz's LB285 was also advanced, but the selection file was not discussed. The bill would create a federal program called the Community Eligibility Provision that would reimburse high-poverty school districts to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in public schools with a certain percentage of students living in poverty. It was planned that it would be compulsory to join.
Under LB1052, also introduced by Walz, K-12 teachers at public, private, denominational or parochial charter or certified schools can apply for up to $300 in annual reimbursement for school supplies purchased with personal funds. We were able to. The committee advanced the bill to the general public, but no consideration was scheduled.
LB878 was also advanced to the general file but was not scheduled for discussion. The bill, introduced by Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would allow schools and educational services departments to issue bonds, hold special elections to levy property taxes, or exceed property tax levy limits. It was forbidden to do so. Rather, such questions could only appear on the ballot during statewide general elections in even-numbered years.
Other measures
Senators approved a proposal to ease regulations for Nebraska's private, parochial, sectarian, group or home-based schools that choose not to meet accreditation requirements. Such schools are commonly referred to as “exempt.”
LB1027, introduced by Elmwood Sen. Robert Clements and passed 44-1, would streamline the application process to attend exempt schools and align it with the public school application process. Under the bill, only one parent would have to apply to the state Department of Education for a child to attend an exempt school. Current law requires both parents or guardians to apply.
The bill would remove the department's authority to visit or inspect exempt schools and proctor achievement tests for exempt students. It also removes thematic testing requirements for exempt school employees, aligning the requirements with those for public school teachers.
Proposals to restrict students from using school restrooms and participating in school sports according to the sex they were assigned at birth rather than their gender identity were held up in the general file.
Mr. Kaus, the sponsor of LB575, filed a motion to close after four hours of debate, but it failed by a vote of 31-15. 33 votes were needed.
Two measures related to higher education institutions were considered by the committee but were not advanced for discussion this year.
LB1330, introduced by Murman, would prohibit public higher education institutions from requiring employees to participate in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or from spending public funds on DEI programs. was.
LB1064, introduced by Sen. Lauren Lippincott of Central, would eliminate tenure protections for professors at the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska State University System, and the state's community colleges.
Lippincott also proposed two bills this year regarding religious expression in schools that were not introduced by the committee.
LB1034 would have prohibited school districts from punishing employees who engaged in private religious expression while on school duty. The bill would, among other things, prohibit faculty members from engaging in personal religious expression, such as prayer, religious discussion, or study, with other faculty members during non-class hours, and from sponsoring student religious clubs or organizations. It was to be recognized.
LB1065 allowed chaplains to perform the duties of school counselors without having certification to perform teaching, administrative, or other special services. Chaplains would have been required to undergo a criminal background check and, based on the results, would have been subject to the same qualification restrictions as school counselors.