Supporters of private and public schools debate Nebraska’s school choice law

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The fight over school choice in Nebraska just got a couple of big backers.

Nebraska Farmers Union is now pushing for the repeal of Legislative Bill 753, while the Nebraska Catholic Conference is calling it critical to helping families in need.

Support Our Schools Nebraska has been gathering signatures to repeal the law, which commits $25 million a year in tax credits for those who donate to private school scholarship funds.

SEE ALSO: Opponents of Nebraska school choice bill gather signatures at Fourth of July events

Mindy Diller, a volunteer and middle school teacher, said she doesn’t want private institutions benefitting from public tax dollars.

“Nobody is against private schools, if that’s what you feel is best for your child, then that’s great,” she said. “I want the public monies to stay with the public schools.”

One of the union’s top concerns is that the measure blurs the line between church and state by allowing public taxes to help religious schools.

John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said the law also hurts rural communities that don’t have any private schools.

Instead, Hansen said more funding should be placed into public schools across rural Nebraska.

“Two-thirds of all the school districts in the state aren’t getting any income or sales tax to run the school,” he said. “They have to look their neighbors in the eye and say, ‘I’m sorry but we don’t have any other money to work with, we’re going to have to raise your property taxes.'”

On the other end of the debate, the author of the bill, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, said it pales in comparison to other funding that was given to public schools this year.

SEE ALSO: Historic education funding bill nears passage in Nebraska Legislature

She said she’s “dumbfounded” that Support Our Schools Nebraska has been working so hard to repeal the law.  Linehan also said there’s “a lack of understanding.”

“I wouldn’t care if they were trying to undo it if they were being honest,” she said. “They’re just not being honest about the situation. The bill doesn’t take any money from public schools.”

Tom Venzor, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said the bill ensures our state’s poorest and most vulnerable students have access to increased scholarship opportunities.

He adds there has been a lot of deliberate misinformation over the years, along with attempts to smear private schools.

“We are urging Nebraskans across the state to decline to sign the petition,” he said. “Do that charitably, do that respectfully, and let’s make sure that every family has the opportunity to choose an education that’s best for their child.”

The petition needs signatures from at least 5% of registered voters across 38 counties to make it on the 2024 ballot.  They’ll need those signatures by the end of August.