NEFB to Join Pillen School Finance Reform Committee
Governor-elect Jim Pillen has asked Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) to serve on a new School Finance Reform Committee, which will provide recommendations on how to update and reform the state’s school aid formula. Nebraska Farm Bureau looks forward to this opportunity to work with Governor-elect Pillen and other stakeholders to start down the path of reforming how we fund schools in Nebraska. Reducing Nebraska’s overreliance of property taxes and seeking a more balance system to fund education is a NEFB policy priority.
Under our current school funding system, we have situations where the state is paying for the vast majority of the basic education costs for students in some school districts, while at the same time students in other schools, many of them rural in nature, receive little to no state support in comparison. According to a news release from Pillen, the committee is the start of fulfilling his promise to update the school aid formula.
“Of our 244 school districts, only 86 receive any state aid. The formula is not fair, it is not Nebraska, and it gives up on our kids. I’ll be collaborating with these experienced educators, policymakers, and stakeholders to come up with recommendations on how we are going to reform TEEOSA, so that we can come together and create a system that invests in every Nebraska student,” said Pillen.
Below is the groups and individuals on the School Finance Reform Committee:
- Governor-elect Jim Pillen, Chairman
- Members of Governor-elect Pillen’s Policy Team
- State Senator Rita Sanders
- State Senator Tom Briese
- Members of STANCE including Lakeview Superintendent Dr. Aaron Plas and Seward Superintendent Dr. Josh Fields
- Members of Omaha Public Schools including Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Logan
- Members of Lincoln Public Schools including Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman
- Retired school superintendent and CEO of Avenues Scholars Dr. Ken Bird
- Nebraska Association of School Boards
- Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association
- The Nebraska Farm Bureau
- The Nebraska Cattlemen
- Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska
