109A LB149 LPS Testimony

March 17, 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 offers this proponent statement in support of Senator Hansen’s LB149 which would restore the ability of elementary schools to suspend PK-2 students when alternative disciplinary methods have not been effective.

A longstanding legislative guideline of LPS is to support local control. Senator Hansen’s bill would reestablish local control for this rarely used yet important tool for student disciplinary situations. We would assert that under rare circumstances, a suspension may be warranted in order to protect the safety of students and staff, maintain continuity of instruction within the regular classroom for other students, and develop a plan for safely and supportively returning the suspended student to school.

Thank you for your consideration of the merits of Senator Hansen’s proposal.

Sincerely,

Dr. John Skretta
Interim Superintendent
Lincoln Public Schools
402-440-9092

Recent LPS testimony

109A LB149

Testimony on LB411 to Eliminate the prohibition on suspending a student in prekindergarten through second grade by Interim Superintendent, Dr. John Skretta

109A LB411

Testimony on LB411 to Change provisions relating to the Nebraska Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act by Interim Superintendent, Dr. John Skretta

109A LB49

Testimony on LB49 to Provide for a model ban and bar policy for school districts by Interim Superintendent, Dr. John Skretta

109A LB652

Testimony on LB652 to Terminate the Board of Educational Lands and Funds by Interim Superintendent, Dr. John Skretta

109A LB714

Testimony on LB714 to Change provisions relating to the review and modification of an incarcerated parent’s child support order by LPS Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs, Liz Standish

109A LB550

Testimony on LB550 to Require school districts to adopt a policy that excuses students to attend a course for religious instruction by Lincoln Board of Education member, Piyush Srivastav