February 25, 2025
Sen. Dave Murman, Chairperson
Sen. Margo Juarez
Sen. Jana Hughes, Vice Chairperson
Sen. Dan Lonowski
Sen. Danielle Conrad
Sen. Glen Meyer
Sen. Megan Hunt
Sen. Rita Sanders
Chair Murman and members of the Education Committee:
The Lincoln Public Schools opposes LB557 proposed by Senator Armendariz. The bill strikes most of the provisions for school districts to administer option enrollment plans. By eliminating enrollment option application timelines and capacity thresholds, school districts could no longer effectively manage enrollment of non-resident students, and this could foreseeably place a strain on district systems and school capacities.
While the Lincoln Public Schools routinely accepts option applicants, with forty elementary schools, twelve middle schools, and eight high schools, we need to be able to identify specific schools and grade levels which are closed to option due to current enrollment numbers. This allows us to manage projected enrollment growth and to accommodate the needs of current students and to develop and institute staffing plans in accordance with enrollment figures. See https://home.lps.org/studentservices/open-closed-schools/ : If a school, grade level, or program is open, it means it is open to transfer within the school district or to option students from outside LPS.
The Lincoln Public Schools has a long-standing legislative guideline emphasizing the importance of local control. LB557 removes much of school districts’ ability to exercise reasonable local control measures on option enrollment. Eliminating capacity thresholds for schools would predictably lead to unmanageable school overcrowding and diminish our ability to ensure an optimal learning experience for all students.
Lincoln Public Schools also opposes the component of LB557 that would provide families denied an option application a $2500 payment for “educational support,” as the bill brings no clear definition of this, nor any reporting requirements or accountability measures around what constitutes “educational support.”
LPS opposes the advancement of LB557.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Skretta
Interim Superintendent
Lincoln Public Schools
402-440-9092
