Penner says NE public schools a huge winner from 2023 law changes
After a legislative session which resulted in what many are calling an historic spending increase for Nebraska public schools, supporters of the Opportunity Scholarship Act being targeted for repeal say a November ballot initiative is an effort by a teacher’s union to stop a school choice movement which is gaining momentum nationwide.
Kirk Penner of Aurora, a member of the Nebraska State Board of Education, said he is dismayed by the campaign being launched to repeal LB 753, saying its opponents are ignoring the overall education package passed by the Nebraska Unicameral this session.
“I want to make sure people know the amount of money and all the great things the legislature did for education last year,” said Penner, clarifying that his comments represent his own personal views, not those of the state board of education. “The benefit for Aurora is two and a half million dollars, which is a very big number. They doubled public school funding to $6.5 billion, and yet we’re arguing over $25 million, which is designed to help targeted families that need help. To me, that’s interesting if it’s really about the kids.”
Penner encourages the public to step back and look at the big picture before deciding to support the repeal initiative, then offered a detailed review of multiple pieces of legislation he said will have a dramatic impact on public school budgets, beginning this year.
“In this last session they set aside $1 billion for the Education Future Fund which is going to be directed to education priorities,” he explained. “So that’s $1 billion plus for this year another $309 million to fund priorities that have not traditionally gotten state aid. That’s $1.309 billion that was allocated this year for public education. The budget allocation, or the money spent in 2021-22 was $1.5 billion, so they doubled public school funding.”
In addition, Penner noted that public schools including Aurora, Hampton, Giltner and High Plains will be getting $1,500 per student this year in state equalization, which for Aurora alone amounts to $1.7 million.
“The governor understands that we were not getting any state aid out here and it was all on property taxes,” he said. “So for the first time in a long time we’re getting state funds, and on top of that you can get as much as $10,500 for option enrollment students from the state.”
Penner suggested that option enrollment should not be confused with school choice.
“Option enrollment is not school choice because it is totally controlled by the public school districts,” he said. “For true school choice, the control needs to be with the parents, not with the public schools.”
Continuing his review of new legislation benefitting public schools, Penner noted that the reimbursement rate for special education services mandated by the federal government has been increased from 41-42 percent to approximately 80 percent, which is in and of itself a significant sum.
“Then on top of that they created a new grant program that will give teachers $2,500 after two years and another $2,500 after the fourth year of teaching and another $2,500 after the sixth year of teaching for a total of $7,500 extra on top of their salary that’s coming straight from the state,” he said.
Finally, Penner pointed out that lawmakers passed LB 610, carried to the floor by Dist. 34 Sen. Loren Lippincott, which will provide $10 million to help fund equipment and products for career and technical education in Nebraska.
“So just in Aurora, the estimated additional revenue in the new state education bill is $2.5 million is what I’m gathering,” he said. “It was a huge, huge win for education.”
Shifting his focus to LB 753, Penner said the bill is capped the first year at $25 million, which in his view shows it is not a significant sum when considering all the new money now earmarked for education. The total can escalate to as much as $100 million in the fourth year to private schools through a tax credit program for those who make donations to scholarship-granting organizations.
“So it’s $25 million of a $6.5 billion budget,” he said. “If you can bring it down to the way you and I talk, if you’ve got $6,500 in your piggy bank, it’s $25.”
Keep Kids First
Penner was one of several public officials attending a meeting last week in Omaha, including Gov. Jim Pillen, which focused on the efforts of Keep Kids First Nebraska. (For more information, go to Keepkidsfirstnebraska.com) There he learned that there is strong support to spread information urging Nebraskans to “Decline to sign” the initiative.
“You’re talking about a bill designed to help kids at 100 percent poverty level, bullied kids, military families and kids denied option enrollment,” he said of some of the priorities listed in the bill. When asked about criteria for scholarship applications that did not refer to income-based need, Penner said “that is splitting hairs,” because the majority of the language makes it clear that the program is designed to benefit kids in need.
Asked also as to the concerns that the cost of LB 753 could actually go up if more people apply and qualify, Penner said that reflects the bigger picture as to why he believes school choice is so important.
“So why are they applying and why is that number ballooning in other states?” he said. “Because parents want choice. If this was a super big issue and people were irate it would be the parents that are upset. It’s not. It’s the teachers union that is fighting this. Parents want choice for their kids that need some extra help. Sometimes public schools do fit, sometimes it’s the other way around, but when things increase that means it’s becoming popular and parents want to be in charge of their kids education.”
Sen. Lippincott spoke publicly in support of LB 753 many times, including at a town hall meeting in Aurora where local teachers raised concerns with the bill. In a recent newspaper column, Lippincott responded directly to those concerns.
“While many see all these measures as an important and welcome funding package, it doesn’t seem to be enough for the Nebraska State Education Association, aka the teachers union, which continues to ramp up its efforts to take educational opportunities away from the families in Nebraska who need it the most,” he wrote. “Soon after the session ended, the teachers union launched a petition effort to repeal LB 753 and has been willing to say and do about anything to get signatures. If they are willing to mislead and misrepresent the bill to voters now, what else will they do if it’s on the ballot?
“The SOS (Save Our Schools) effort says this will hurt public schools, to which I ask: why would giving parents a choice hurt public schools?” he continued. “This is about providing families with educational choices and giving kids a chance to reach their highest potential, not about taking money away from our public schools.”
On that note, Penner agreed.
“They are out in full force, and that is their right, and that is fine,” he said of those gathering signatures for the repeal initiative. “But what is happening in this state since it’s the teachers unions that are pushing this petition, is that now the teachers unions are going to throw millions of dollars into this state to bring it to the ballot, all to stop kids in need from having a school choice if they need it. And so what is happening is the people that want school choice are gathering support and trying to educate the community, just like what I am doing here, to say we just spent a ton of money on public schools. This is $25 million off the top. It’s not a lot. We’re trying to help targeted individuals or targeted families, so they’re having to raise money to counter the teachers unions trying to stop the school choice movement.”
In the end, Penner concluded, that is time, money and effort not well spent on behalf of Nebraska’s children.
“So it’s going to be two sides battling, if they get the signatures,” he said. “You’re going to have millions of dollars coming in from the NEA and then you’re going to have millions of dollars spent by those advocating for school choice, all over $25 million to help disadvantaged kids.”
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series examining both sides of a debate regarding a petition being circulated locally and statewide to give Nebraska voters an opportunity to repeal LB 753 by placing it on the November ballot.