Nebraskans this November will be able to vote on whether to keep the Opportunity Scholarships Act, which gives a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to people who contribute to private-school scholarship-granting organizations. However, pending legislation could render this vote meaningless when it comes to state-funded support of private schools.

LB 1402 would give private-school scholarship money directly to the SGOs, starting from $25 million and up to as much as $100 million annually over time.

Supporters of the referendum have said voters should have their say. This includes Dunixi Guereca, executive director of the group Stand for Schools, who said state support of private-school scholarships would especially harm rural communities.

"They love their schools, especially in greater Nebraska," he said. "And what these large-scale privatization measures will do is siphon money away from that. Because it's not profitable to open up a for-profit school in greater Nebraska; it's going to siphon money to Lincoln, to Omaha, to the detriment of our communities outstate."

He noted that 117,000 Nebraskans signed the referendum petition -- over 50,000 more than needed -- from all areas of the state and all political persuasions. Supporters of the Opportunity Scholarships Act have said it equalizes educational opportunities by allowing more families to pick the school they feel is best for their child.

Guereca said plenty can be learned from other states' experiences with state-funded private-school scholarship programs, including the growth of what he called "predatory schools."

"They're not going to prop up beautiful academies. They're going to go to a strip mall, they're going to put computers in, it's going to be Khan Academy with an administrator and teacher in the corner," he said. "Those schools aren't going to go up in Broken Bow, they're not going to go up in Chadron, they're not going to go up in Albion. It's going to be in Lincoln, Omaha and Grand Island. And who's going to get hurt the most? Our rural communities."

Carol Burris, executive director of the nonprofit Network for Public Education, which has tracked the impact of publicly funded private-school scholarship and voucher programs for years, said it's likely state Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, R-Elkhorn, introduced LB 1402 because she knows the history of this type of referendum.

"When they've actually gone to the point where there has been a referendum, every single time, vouchers have gone down," she said. "Every time they've gone up to a ballot, they've been rejected."

Burris said her group gave Nebraska "a bit of a pass" this year - ranking it fifth-best in its latest "Public Schooling in America" report - because the scholarship program is new and is facing repeal.

Georgia higher education officials are crediting a program assisting high school students with a wave of new enrollment in the state's colleges and universities.

Recruiting officials say Georgia Match helped the 26 schools in the University System of Georgia reach a total enrollment of almost 365,000 students, up 5.9% over 2023.

Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said Georgia Match helps students and their families understand the long-term value of a college education.

"We try to promote the facts of the value and because people can understand value and that's really what we're trying to do," said Perdue, "quality versus cost - and if you have a great quality product at an affordability rate, then people are more likely to choose that."

Georgia Match reaches out to high school students with information on opportunities at Georgia universities and assists them with admissions.

Perdue said enrollments have been down since before the pandemic in 2019, and state officials are looking to boost the numbers.

He added the University System of Georgia saw its growth outstrip that of other state colleges nationwide. The National Student Clearinghouse reports in 2024, student enrollment nationwide grew by just 3%.

"We swam against the stream nationally and doubled the incoming first-time freshmen," said Perdue. "Where much of the country was down, we were up - and that was 2.6%. So, we're focusing on value."

Georgia Match is part of a nationwide trend called direct admission. The idea is to reach students who haven't considered going to college.

Perdue said more than half the students who received a letter applied for admission to a public Georgia college.

"The value of the ability to move within the system is helpful even for those who may not be able to attend or be admitted to one of the larger flagships earlier," said Perdue. "They see a path that way eventually, and I think that helps our recruitment in our access colleges."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping a new teacher certification process will draw more diverse candidates to the classroom.

The state recently passed legislation to create alternative pathways for teachers who struggle to pass the certification exam but can otherwise demonstrate competence in their field.

Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers-Massachusetts, said the effort is ultimately good for students.

"You're going to run into a lot of diversity," Tang pointed out. "When you are exposed to diversity in our schools, that actually helps prepare you."

Tang noted even some of the state's previous teacher of the year award winners have struggled to pass the certification exam. She argued academic outcomes improve when students have teachers they can relate to and who understand their histories and cultures.

The legislation also requires districts to develop plans to recruit diverse educators and administrators, and collect diversity data. The state will also establish a teacher apprenticeship program to help support younger teachers and retain them. Tang stressed it is important the programs are now codified into state law due to potential upcoming changes in federal education policy.

"Even though a lot of these initiatives were already happening in so many places, we can do better," Tang emphasized. "We can do more and we can protect that work through this legislation."

Tang added educator preparation programs will also develop plans to increase the diversity of their graduates and she looks forward to seeing how students statewide will benefit from the legislation. She said it should help build a new pipeline of people entering the teaching profession, as the more students identify with their teachers, the more likely they will become teachers too.

Researchers say increasing the police presence in schools isn't the best way to address classroom violence. One expert in Iowa says educators would do better to treat the underlying causes.

Fifty years ago, just 1% of the nation's public schools had police officers on campus. That number has jumped to more than 40% now.

The 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado prompted officials to harden schools with more police presence, thinking it would keep students safer.

Iowa State University Associate Dean for the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice Monic Behnken said academic research shows that hasn't worked.

"What the literature is clear about for the past 20 years is actually the thing that you want to do is, you want to soften your schools," said Behnken. "You want to increase access to therapists, counselors, social workers, community liaisons."

Behnken said these professionals can address the emotional and social stressors among kids before they'd commit crimes.

She added that although school shootings have increased and get huge media attention when they happen, they are still statistically rare.

Behnken said data show that School Resource Officers (SROs), have next to no impact on stopping violence, bullying, or even schoolyard fights - but they do have a big impact in other areas.

"The research shows that SROs are good at policing," said Behnken. "So, they are fantastic in a school that has a drug problem. They are fantastic at a school that has a gang problem."

Behnken said otherwise, more officers on school campuses can do more harm than good - because school staff may learn to rely on SROs to solve discipline problems that administrators could handle without having to involve the police.




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