Groups opposing public funding of private schools have been making a push through the Panhandle to gather petition signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
The Support Our Schools Nebraska coalition needs to collect at least 90,000 valid signatures to give voters the option to repeal LB1402, which would provide up to $10 million in direct state funds to non-profit organizations granting scholarships to low-income and disadvantaged students wanting to attend a private or parochial school.
During stops in the Scottsbluff and Gering area Wednesday, Jenni Benson, group supporter and Nebraska State Education Association president, said while public schools do receive hundreds of millions in property tax revenue and state aid, that $10 million is no less important.
“I hear those comments. I hear the amount. You know, TEEOSA is a very complicated formula for funding. We all believe that property tax relief needs to happen,” said Benson, “but you also have to look at then what do those look like? They’ve already put all these spending caps in place for school districts.”
She noted Nebraska is still 47th in the nation for starting teacher pay, and schools across the state are still struggling with a severe shortage of educators that accelerated with the pandemic.
Benson also said while we have some very good private and parochial schools in the state, less than half of 93 Nebraska counties have one, and they would not face the same accountability for those public funds.
In addition to needing 90,000 valid signatures from across the state, Support Our Schools also needs to get valid signatures from five percent of registered voters in at least 35 counties.
