NFFV Action Request

Upcoming Education

Committee Hearing

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

1:30 PM, Room 1525

Support

LB177 Adopt the My Student, My Choice Act

Did you know?

There are 65 publicly funded private school choice programs in 48 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. What two states are missing? Nebraska and North Dakota.

Who can tell me if school choice matters?

Ok, ok, ok... yes school choice matters. Not all schools are the same. According to the Journal Star, three of the top 5 performing high schools in Nebraska are private. Additionally Creighton University student, Jacob Idra wrote that ACT scores for Omaha area high schools reflect a divide between schools west of 72nd Street and east of 72nd Street. The average ACT score of Elkhorn South School was 24.6 and Omaha Benson High School was 14.9. He goes on to say - Research shows that school choice programs can reduce racial segregation, reduce instances of criminal behavior and teenage pregnancy, increase college going and college completion rates and provide better academic outcomes for all students, in both public and private schools.

How Can I help?

Take action, your voice is powerful make it heard. LB177 committee hearing is scheduled Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

How to be heard? Here are three ways:

• Most Effective: Testify in person. Going to the Committee hearing and sharing YOUR story with committee member Senators is very impactful. For first time in person testifier here are some helpful hints. 
• Very Effective: Submit written testimony. If you can't be there in person then submit written testimony. Not sure how to do that, click here. Note; written testimony needs to be submitted by noon the business day before the committee hearing.
• Effective: Email your position letter to the Committee Senators and CC your own Senator. For a listing of the Education Committee Senators click here. Note; emails need to be sent by noon the business day before the committee hearing. It's not likely these emails will be included in official hearing minutes though there is a better chance Committee Senators will see your comments. You can request they be added to meeting minutes in your email to Committee Senators.

Not sure what to say?

Listed below are thought starters. Build your story around one or two of them. Quantity is not as important as a short heart felt personal story.

Martin F. Lueken, Ph.D, Director of Fiscal Policy and Analysis for EdChoice.Org states five key quotes about supporting public funding of private education (from testimony on Nebraska LB364, January 28, 2021).

• Public school districts in Nebraska do not lose any funding when they lose students, all else equal…Funding for public schools does not decrease when students leave public schools for any reason, even though education costs would decrease.

• When students leave, it costs less to educate fewer students….Variable costs are costs that can be reduced. Variable costs might include textbooks, software licenses, and personnel costs. In the long run, all costs are variable, meaning that over time districts can fully adjust operations to a change in enrollment.

• Choice programs in states that already have them (including the oldest and largest programs) have not led to an exodus of students, and the public system still remains the dominant provider to this day…About 2% of K-12 students participate in education choice programs today.

• These programs increase opportunities to make better matches between child and the education they receive. They also result in arrangements that teachers and parents often care about, such as smaller class size. 

• Many people tend to think of school funding as an accounting issue…How we fund education reflects our values. One of those values is educational opportunity…for Nebraska’s families.