February 13, 2025
Sen. R. Brad von Gillern, Chairperson
Sen. Mike Jacobson
Sen. Eliot Bostar
Sen. George Dungan
Sen. Teresa Ibach
Sen. Kathleen Kauth
Sen. Dave Murman
Sen. Tony Sorrentino
The Lincoln Public School District submits this testimony in opposition to LB 692. LB 692 effectively eliminates the school board’s access to the additional authority under the Property Tax Request Cap. Striking the local school board’s authority to increase the base growth percentage will have significant implications and will erode our state’s public school system. As demonstrated by the below hypothetical chart, this bill would effectively limit the supermajority board override provision to a one time use over the entire existence of the school district.
| 2025-2026 | 2026-2027 | 2027-2028 | 2028-2029 | 2029-2030 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior Year Revenue | 100,000 | 103,000 | 106,090 | 109,273 | 112,551 |
| Base Growth | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Base Growth Revenue | 103,000 | 106,090 | 109,273 | 112,551 | 115,927 |
| Base Growth Revenue Over Prior Year | 3,000 | -910 | -937 | -965 | -994 |
| Additional Authority (+4%) | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| Additional Revenue | 107,000 | 110,210 | 113,516 | 116,922 | 120,429 |
| Additional Growth Over Prior Year | 3,210 | 3,306 | 3,405 | 3,508 | |
| Additional Percent Growth Over Prior Year | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
School districts experience sizeable swings in valuation, an additional factor that is imperative to consider and understand. School districts do not have the luxury of planning incrementally year over year. We must plan over multiple years. In Lancaster County, residential property is reassessed on a rotating basis. In the year that valuation increases, the district has higher state aid and the following year the state aid drops and the valuation doesn’t grow much at all. The only way to manage such extreme swings in revenue is multi-year planning and fluctuating percent increases in revenue growth.
We cannot address school finance in a piecemeal fashion. Every change has impacts with known consequences impacting our ability to effectively serve children across the state.
Sincerely,
Liz Standish
Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs
Lincoln Public Schools
