LINCOLN — Rodney Bennett, the priority candidate for chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is no stranger to controversy related to diversity, equity and inclusion. On Oct. 28, 2015, the former president of the University of Southern Mississippi ordered the state flag to be taken down on USM campuses. At the time, the flag contained the […]
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LINCOLN — To chants of “sign the petition,” a coalition of public education supporters launched an effort Tuesday to place a referendum before voters on a newly passed school choice law. The group, called “Support Our Schools Nebraska,” is seeking to gather at least 90,000 signatures of registered voters in the next 90 days to […]
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LINCOLN — To chants of “sign the petition,” a coalition of public education supporters launched an effort Tuesday to place a referendum before voters on a newly passed school choice law. The group, called “Support Our Schools Nebraska,” is seeking to gather at least 90,000 signatures of registered voters in the next 90 days to […]
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LINCOLN — During his first few years as an undergraduate student, Rodney Bennett, the now-priority candidate for chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, struggled. As a young student at Middle Tennessee State University, Bennett began studying in the fall of 1984 and received a variety of grades in his first few years, including failing grades in […]
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LINCOLN — The ink was barely dry on a new law allowing generous tax breaks for donations for private schooling before the state’s powerful teachers union launched an effort to repeal it. On Wednesday, language for a ballot referendum repealing Legislative Bill 754 was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. The effort, by […]
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LINCOLN — The ink was barely dry on a new law allowing generous tax breaks for donations for private schooling before the state’s powerful teachers union launched an effort to repeal it. On Wednesday, language for a ballot referendum repealing Legislative Bill 754 was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. The effort, by […]
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LINCOLN — Nebraska school administrators, get out your No. 2 pencils. The Legislature just gave you two new assignments and a little help in hiring teachers. On Wednesday, state senators approved Legislative Bill 298, which merged K-12 education proposals, tracking dyslexia, clarifying school dress codes and streamlining hires of teachers from other states. State Sens. […]
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LINCOLN — Nebraska will soon allow public tax credits for private school education, after the governor signed the bill into law Tuesday. Gov. Jim Pillen signed Legislative Bill 753, the seven-years-long fight led by State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn on the “Opportunity Scholarships” initiative. Lawmakers gave final approval last week on a 33-11 vote. […]
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LINCOLN — Nebraska would join 48 other states in offering “school choice” under a bill given final approval Wednesday. Proponents of the “Opportunity Scholarships Act” said it will allow low-income families the opportunity to send their kids to private and parochial schools via the generous tax breaks offered to those donating funds for private school […]
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Nebraska educators are hoping that a program being adopted by an increasing number of schools may help close some of the education gaps that exist in the state. Jobs for America’s Graduates, also known as JAG, helps students connect what they’re learning in the classroom to the real world. And, supporters say, it has a […]
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LINCOLN — The state teachers union has already organized a campaign committee to challenge the “Opportunity Scholarships Act,” even though the measure hasn’t yet been approved by the Nebraska Legislature. The “Support Our Schools Nebraska” committee was recently filed with the state sunshine commission, and a Support Our Schools website is already up. The website […]
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LINCOLN — Rural and urban residents who struggle to find fresh and healthy food close to home could soon get help from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with the help of $25 million from federal taxpayers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $25 million cooperative agreement award to UNL to improve local supply chains by […]
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A partnership between an Omaha business and a community college is setting a standard when it comes to addressing what some consider the digital divide in North Omaha. Metropolitan Community College is working with iFixOmaha and CTIA-WISE to offer the Mobile Device Repair Academy, the first industry and post-secondary education mobile device repair partnership in […]
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LINCOLN — Public school advocates flooded the steps of the State Capitol on Saturday morning in anticipation of a final vote on whether Nebraska should finally adopt some form of public funding for private schools. The Legislature is preparing for a final vote in the coming weeks on Legislative Bill 753, proposed by State Sen. […]
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A decade after his time wearing a Husker uniform came to a close, former Nebraska quarterback Ron Kellogg III continues to strive to make an impact on the city that gave him the chance to live his dream. As a ‘community builder’ for Lincoln Public Schools and their associated community learning centers, Kellogg strives to […]
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LINCOLN — Nebraska would no longer be the only state in the union that doesn’t provide some sort of “school choice” under a bill sent to final-round approval Thursday. Legislative Bill 753 would permit state tax credits for donations to organizations that provide scholarships to kids to attend private and parochial schools. An estimated 5,000 […]
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LINCOLN — State lawmakers gave first-round approval to Gov. Jim Pillen’s school-aid proposal Tuesday after rejecting attempts to amend a key part of “the package.” Legislative Bill 583 advanced on a 39-3 vote but only after overcoming an eight-hour filibuster and rejecting amendments to adjust state aid distributions and require universal free lunch in Nebraska […]
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LINCOLN — Debate began Monday on a legislative proposal to restructure Nebraska’s public school funding formula, a promise Gov. Jim Pillen made on the campaign trail. Legislative Bill 583, proposed by State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue at Pillen’s request, is part of a package of legislation to address school funding and property taxes. The changes […]
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LINCOLN — A federal lawsuit alleges Grand Island Northwest Public Schools and its superintendent violated the First Amendment after shutting down a school newspaper days after its staff covered LGBTQ+ topics. The ACLU of Nebraska filed the lawsuit in federal district court Friday on behalf of the Nebraska High School Press Association and a former student […]
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OMAHA — The Nebraska Board of Education looked north for its next education commissioner Friday, but not before exposing board divisions over his selection and how he was chosen. A 5-3 majority chose Brian Maher, former executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents and a former superintendent in Kearney, Neb.; Utica, Neb.; and […]
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LINCOLN — A Nebraska legislative committee advanced a package Wednesday designed to improve school safety, coming just days after another school shooting, this time in Nashville, Tennessee. The Education Committee voted 7-0 to send Legislative Bill 516, proposed by State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, to the full Legislature. State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha was […]
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Three children and three adult staff members are dead after a mass shooting Monday at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee’s Green Hills neighborhood. Among the victims are three 9-year-old children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The adult victims are Cynthia Peak, 61, Mike Hill, 61, and Katherine Koonce, […]
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LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker faced a threat of censure Wednesday for alleging that a couple of bills aim to perpetrate genocide against transgender Nebraskans. State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar offered the motion after State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha made comparisons between past genocides and two bills that she said would lead to […]
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LINCOLN — Four finalists have been named to be Nebraska’s next commissioner of Education. A search committee of the Nebraska State Board of Education announced the four finalists Friday. The committee seeks to interview each in public meetings March 30. Candidates will also meet with various groups throughout that day. The board plans to hold […]
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LINCOLN — A Nebraska lawmaker on Monday presented four recommendations to improve school safety, the result of a task force that formed after last year’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Legislative Bill 516, proposed by State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, would implement recommendations from the state’s School Safety Task Force. Then-Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt and […]
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LINCOLN — Nebraska would join 48 other states in providing some form of public funds to private schools under a bill given 31-12 first-round approval Wednesday. The advancement of the Opportunity Scholarships Act marks the first time in several years that a “school choice” bill has moved forward in the Nebraska Legislature. It also marks […]
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LINCOLN — Defenders of a separately elected Nebraska State Board of Education lined up Tuesday against four legislative proposals aimed at curbing the powers of an increasingly conservative State Board and handing them to the governor. Legislative Resolution 24CA, a constitutional amendment by State Sen. Joni Albrecht, would eliminate the State Board and place its […]
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LINCOLN — Debate began Monday on a long-controversial bill to provide state tax credits for donations to private school scholarships, with advocates maintaining that the measure is about helping low-income families. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the chief sponsor of so-called “opportunity scholarships” bills in recent years, said poor families should have the […]
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LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska and business interests that say the state benefits from a well-prepared workforce made the argument Friday that the university should receive 1 percentage point more in state funding than currently proposed in order to avoid increased tuition and deeper spending cuts. NU President Ted Carter, a retired Navy admiral, […]
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LINCOLN — State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln said she realized last year she could not use an educational savings plan to support her grandchildren’s private K-12 tuition costs. Congress approved an expansion in 2018 for NEST 529 plans under the College Savings Plan Program, but Nebraska is one of 10 states that lag in […]
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