A few years ago, the Nebraska Legislature debated on how to help families access a school that best fit their needs no matter the zip code where they reside. On the floor sat a bill aimed at creating tax credit scholarships to pay for low-income students to have the choice to attend a private school. Both sides of the aisle agreed that not every family felt their needs were met, there was more work to be done, and while committed to doing so understood that struggling education systems don’t get cleaned up overnight. 

One Senator who opposed the bill said in his speech that it would take half a decade to fix the challenges in Omaha Public Schools. Senator Justin Wayne, a Democrat who represents families in OPS and proponent of school choice, asked “So what are we going to tell parents in the meantime, when they are looking for a choice?”.

The Senator could only reply, “I mean, honestly, I don’t know”.  That singular and short interaction represented the larger debate about school choice. 

Two years later, the Legislature finally passed LB 1402 creating school choice in Nebraska. The bill offered taxpayer-funded scholarships prioritizing students of low income, students with disabilities, students who have been denied option enrollment, students who have experienced bullying or harassment, and children of military families. It was significantly smaller than previous attempts, allocating a reasonable $10 million. Compared to the $4.7 billion in taxpayer funds that were allocated to Nebraska public schools from 2022 to 2023,  LB 1402 made up only 0.2 percent, or two-thousandths, of our total education spending. The bill was incredibly humble- especially considering that Nebraska was one of only two states without any form of school choice law. In many ways, the bill did not do enough to support families who want more of a choice.

Regardless, to the students who needed it the most, Nebraska could finally give those families a choice. If a family felt their needs were not being adequately met, whether this be the rigor of education, disciplinary issues, disagreements with curriculum, or safety concerns, they would not have to feel stuck by their zip code and relegated to a singular school. Instead, if these needs were not met, they could apply for a scholarship and have the option to explore other school systems. Parents, not government, would finally have the opportunity to be empowered to have a say in their child’s education. Upon creation, nearly half of all applicants were families from rural Nebraska. Families across the State, rural and urban, were given choice in their education.

Unfortunately, after finally delivering such a monumental win for Nebraska families, school choice quickly has come under attack in our State. On the ballot will be Referendum Measure 435, seeking to repeal LB 1402’s funding and destroy the scholarship opportunities for underprivileged children that Nebraska fought so hard to create. If the law were to be repealed, families who felt their needs were not met and were finally feeling the relief of having a choice in their child’s education would have that choice ripped away. If the law was to be retained, Nebraska voters would send a message to the big-money interests who have fought so hard to destroy school choice that parents, not government, are the ultimate decision-makers of their children’s education and that a families’ zip code should not determine the quality of their education. Because of this, I respectfully urge you to vote “retain” on Referendum Measure 435.