Issues

Key Legislation from 2009

LB 64- Dating Violence.
LB 163- Allows board members to serve as substitute teachers.
LB 187- Increased retirement rate to 8.28 for 5 years.
LB 464- Booster immunizations beginning in 2010.
LB 476- Creates Center for Student Leadership and Extended Learning. Funding for career education.
LB 545- Changes in state aid formula; incorporates stimulus funds..
LB 547- Attracting Excellence to Teaching; funding assistance for graduate education.
LB 549- NDE Technical Bill; several changes.

Interim Studies in 2009

LR 116- Early childhood education and Kindergarten eligibility.
LR 121- Examine structure of NSAA.
LR 149- Study cost effectiveness of state aid to education.
LR 212- Study valuation of agricultural land.
LR 214- Examine effect of levy limitations on local governments.

Bills to Watch in 2010

LB 72- Management of life-threatening allergies.
LB 73- Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.
LB 107- Requires reason for termination for non-certified staff.
LB 240- Minimum expenditure percentage for direct classroom instruction.
LB 255- Lap/shoulder belts in school buses.
LB 612- Prohibits districts from reimbursing retirement costs for staff.

Legislative Plans and Issues for 2010

Among the possible legislative proposals that have been put forward are:

Proposals to deal with the issue of sparsity in the state aid formula. Among those were a more limited sparsity factor or the concept of a sparsity allowance, similar to the poverty and LEP allowances.

Revising or eliminating the local choice adjustment. There is some concern about what the trade-offs for that might be.


Reinstating or finding an alternative for the aid stabilization factor which expires at the end of this year. This was the factor put into LB 988 to assist sparse schools. It limited a school's loss in state aid in a given year to 5% of needs.

Looking at allowances for shared programs and shared teachers. Shared program allowance could include elements of distance education not covered by the telecommunications allowance (i.e., allowance for receiving schools.)

Reducing or eliminating the teacher education allowance in order to generate funds in the formula for factors that are more favorable to rural schools.

Looking at the impact of the instructional time allowance to see whether it benefits rural schools.

Considering core curriculum funding as an alternative to cost groupings.

Provisions to attract teachers/administrators to rural communities.

Modification or elimination of the freeholding provision. Sen. Adams may favor providing for a longer time period of enrollment decline before freeholding takes effect.

Exception from levy and expenditure lids for infrastructure construction, renovation, and mainteinence.