NSEA Supports Petition To Repeal ‘School Choice’ Bill

By Gordon HopkinsSignatures are being collected for a petition that has been filed to repeal Nebraska’s newly enacted Opportunity Scholarship Act. Among the opponents of the act is the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA). Jenni Benson, president of NSEA, was in Fairbury last week to meet with new teachers and she took the opportunity to speak with FJN about efforts to repeal the bill.“I’m just sticking to message,” said Benson. “And for the six years, I’ve been president and the seven years that Senator (Lou Ann) Linehan brought some version of this bill, our message is the same. Public dollars do not belong in private schools. The constitution of Nebraska is clear.”Benson said, “But the bottom line is, no matter what budget of public schools is, this is still money going to private schools from the general fund.” LB (Legislative Bill ) 753, was approved by the Nebraska Legislature. The bill allows individuals, estates, trusts, and corporations to claim a one for one income tax credit on their state income tax liability if they contribute towards these scholarship funds. Opponents of the bill say it will take money from public schools and give it to private schools. It is the first time Nebraska has adopted a ‘school choice’ bill.However, the bill has a number of supporters, including Governor Jim Pillen, who signed the bill into law on May 30 of this year. In an editorial, the governor wrote, “Our kids are our future, and we all believe that every Nebraska kid should be given the opportunity to have their educational needs met – from the river to Harrison. LB753 creates a tax credit program to which Nebraskans can donate. Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) will administer the scholarships.”Pillen wrote, “Students should not be tied down by the zip code they are born in. Our current education system does not allow for underprivileged students to attend a private school or choose a different school district to live in. You need money and wealth to live in neighboring districts that are performing higher than others.” Supporters of the legislation have touted the success of ‘school choice’ bills in other states. However, Benson pointed out, “Arizona, they’re up to well over 250 million a year in just one of these kinds of scholarship kind of things. Florida, they have vouchers which go with the student. They have schools that were non-profits that are now for profit schools, because they’re making so much money from, you know, getting the vouchers.”“In our rural communities, for example, we are really talking about what does this do overall, for any student in Fairbury,” said Benson. “This is really not about kids. This is really about a tax credit for very wealthy people.” The PetitionNebraska is one of 24 states that allow citizens to initiate legislation through the petition process.The morning of Tuesday, June 6, a coalition of Nebraska not-for-profit organizations dubbed “Support Our Schools Nebraska” (SOSNE) announced the statewide petition drive to repeal LB 753, which SOSNE described in a press release as, “a controversial and widely unpopular piece of school privatization legislation that is expected to divert as much as $100 million per year to private schools.”The governor issued a statement in response to the petition, “Every kid in Nebraska deserves a high-quality education and the opportunity to pursue their dreams. The NSEA’s (Nebraska State Education Association) attempt to overturn the Opportunity Scholarships Act is an attack on our kids and their educational opportunities. I am confident Nebraska voters will reject any attempt to limit school choice for our families.”Benson, on the other hand, believes the majority of Nebraskans are opposed to the bill and cites the signatures already garnered for the petition as evidence.“We doing remarkably well,” said Benson. “We are well on our way to certify in all the counties we need plus more.”“Now it’s volume of signatures,” Benson added. We need 61,000 verified, certified signatures from 38 counties. Our goal is 90,000 from 50 counties and we’re, like, inches away from meeting that goal.” Local ReactionLocal school officials have also expressed concern about the bill. Tiffanie Welte, EdD, Superintendent of Tri County Public Schools, said, “The general Nebraskan won’t be the ones making these contributions. It will be the wealthy few and outside influencers contributing funds. Those tax credits take potential revenue away from all areas of our state budget that rely on state funding, so education is not the only area that will be negatively impacted by the credits.” Dr. Chris Prososki, Superintendent of Southern Schools District, wrote an editorial earlier this year, which said in part, “I stand opposed to this proposed legislation for a number of fundamental reasons. First, our state ranks almost last in the amount of state support for K-12 public education. If public money is diverted to private or parochial schools, the amount of money that is available for public schools will decrease. Second, school privatization plans like LB 753, have had devastating consequences on a number of different fronts in other states who have adopted similar type programs. Lastly, private or parochial schools do not follow the same regulations as public schools, they are not publicly accountable like public schools, and they do not accept all students like public schools.”Senator Tom Brandt voted against the bill. He explained, “Nobody is opposed to allowing kids to get the best educational opportunities for them; however, I am opposed to giving state tax dollars to fund schools that do not have to follow the same rules as our public schools. The program is capped at $25 million for the first two years, but it could increase to $100 million in future years. This could have a detrimental impact on future state revenue and funding down the road for public education.”

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