The nation’s first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington. However, it was not until 1972–58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official–that the day honoring fathers became a nationwide holiday in the United States. (History.com authors. “Father’s Day 2024”. History.com. 31 January, 2024. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/fathers-day)

Father’s Day was this past Sunday, June 16th. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the fathers and grandfathers in the district a Happy belated Father’s Day. I hope you were able to enjoy time with your family.

Bill Update
This week I would like to go over LB1329, one of the two Education Committee priority bills.

LB1329, introduced by Senator Dave Murman of Glenvil, updates the Nebraska Career Scholarship Act by transferring its administration from the state Department of Economic Development to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. The bill expands the definition of “first-time freshman” to include dual enrollment graduates, updates scholarship eligibility to a 3.0 GPA or higher and aligns reporting with census data to consider all eligible programs, retention, and graduation data. LB1329 modifies language regarding the State Board of Education policies on truancy and allows school boards to determine the length of behavioral intervention training for employees. Eleven other bills were amended into LB1329.

• LB550, sponsored by Senator Beau Ballard of Lincoln, allows K-12 students to attend a public school outside their district once in elementary, middle, and high school, for a total of three times before graduation.
• LB673, introduced by Senator Ben Hansen of Blair, provides grants to schools that adopt a policy to provide emergency response mapping data to law enforcement agencies.
• LB855, sponsored by Senator Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, prohibits school districts from contracting with a collection agency to assess or collect interest, fees, or other monetary penalties for outstanding debts on a student’s school lunch or breakfast account.
• LB962, introduced by Senator Justin Wayne of Omaha, requires public schools to exclusively use the Gall-Peters or AuthaGraph projection map for teaching purposes in the classroom.
• LB1012, sponsored by Senator Lynne Walz of Fremont, allows the Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund to be used for abatement projects to address school safety infrastructure concerns.
• LB1083, introduced by Senator Conrad, expands the Nebraska Career Scholarships to include a program of study in education, engineering or early childhood education as an eligible program of study for scholarship eligibility for private colleges and community colleges.
• LB1328, introduced by Senator Murman, amends statutes that refer to school districts by class size by adding the newly proposed classes as applicable. Class I encompasses school districts with a population of fewer than 1,500 inhabitants, maintaining both elementary and high school grades under the governance of one school board; Class II comprises school districts with a population ranging from 1,500 to fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, maintaining both elementary and high school grades under the governance of one school board; Class III encompasses school districts with a population between 5,000 and fewer than 200,000 inhabitants, maintaining both elementary and high school grades under the governance of one school board.
• LB1331, introduced by Senator Murman, represents proposals by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) to address a variety of issues it believes can be administered more effectively. Such issues include truancy, option enrollment, graduation requirements, alternative teacher certification, student loan repayment assistance, innovation and improvement grant programs, Summer Food Service program, special education expenditures, programs for learners with high ability, behavioral health, state lottery funds, behavioral awareness training, and the College Pathway Program. This bill modernizes and harmonizes language to match current practices and eliminates outdated language as well as clarifies language and wording to match current state statutes, federal language, and current practices.
• LB1339, introduced by Senator Tom Brewer of Gordon, permits certain school districts to authorize security personnel and off-duty law enforcement to carry firearms on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities. Participating school districts are required to have a written policy regarding qualifications, training, and the appropriate use of force. The provision does not apply to public elementary or secondary schools in Class III, IV, or V school districts.
• LB1377, sponsored by Senator Walz at the request of the Governor, directs the State Board of Education to create model policies addressing behavioral intervention, management, and student removal, with training frequency left to school boards. School districts must adopt these policies by August 1, 2025, and staff training aligning with the policies is required from the 2026-27 school year. Similar requirements apply to dating violence policies and training. The State Board of Education is also authorized to establish minimum school security standards, including reasonable training for security personnel.
• LB1385, introduced by Senator Kathleen Kauth of Omaha at the request of the Governor, streamlines the approval application process for teaching certificates and creates reciprocity among states for their issuance. (Portions taken from “Omnibus education bill approved”. Unicameral Update. 12 April, 2024. https://update.legislature.ne.gov/?p=36409)

As always, I invite you to let me know your thoughts, ideas, concerns, or suggestions by calling my office at (402) 471-2716 or emailing me at jalbrecht@leg.ne.gov.