Omaha residents provide input on the Private Education Scholarship Referendum

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – On Saturday, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Elections Division held public hearings for all six ballot initiatives in Nebraska, including the partial referendum on private education grants.

On November 5, Nebraskans will vote on the partial repeal of LB1402, which passed in April. Section 1 of 1402 sets aside $10 million from the general fund, public money, for private school scholarships.

Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, hopes voters will repeal it. Before the public hearing, Royers and his supporters wrote handwritten letters to send to voters with information on why they should repeal the law.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen worse academic outcomes for all children, whether they go to a private school or a public school, they do worse academically,” Royers said. “The other thing we’re seeing is that these programs are absolutely increasing in size and consuming an increasing share of state budgets every year.”

He worries that failure to repeal it could mean more public money going to private institutions.

“This comes at a time when a number of school districts in the Omaha region are seeing cuts to their state funding,” Royers explained. “Bellevue, Gretna, Papillion, Millard, they all lost millions of dollars in state funding this school year. So as those communities see less support, we are now siphoning away dollars to go to private schools, and that is the fundamental problem.”

He argued that this program could increase property taxes if not repealed.

“Even if students leave our public schools through this voucher program, there will be no reduction in expenditures on the part of our schools,” Royers said. “So if we drop our state funding but there is no reduction in costs, it will be due to our local property taxes, otherwise we will simply have to cut teaching positions and programs.”

Senator Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn introduced LB1402. She told 6 News the bill is about providing more opportunities for children.

“The children we are leaving behind are low-income children whose parents do not have the choice of moving to Elkhorn, to Westside or to Millard,” Senator Linehan explained. “I don’t think it’s fair that you have kids who don’t have options, when we’re a city full of options.”

She says 1402 does not divert money from public education.

“Two years ago, when we passed the original school choice law, we also dramatically increased public funding,” said Senator Linehan. “We have set aside a billion dollars for the future education fund. We used to pay 40% of special expenses where we know they pay 80%. That one thing costs $150 million, so we increased the public finds for special editions by $150 million. If you’re not an equal school, you might not get a lot of money per child, so now every child in a public school in Nebraska, regardless of the formula, gets $1,500 per student, so that program costs those increases $328 million. The scholarship program costs $10 million.”

During the public hearing, opponents and proponents discussed LB1402 and why it should or should not be repealed. Omaha Senator Justin Wayne gave his reason for keeping LB 1402.

“I was against school choice 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 8 years ago, 7 years ago, but the last five years I’ve run out of options,” said Senator Wayne. “The kid in north Omaha needs an opportunity, that parent needs that choice. That is why I ask you to vote to keep 1402.”

Arizona, Iowa and Florida have passed similar legislation.