February 17, 2026
Sen. Dave Murman, Chairperson
Sen. Jana Hughes, Vice Chairperson
Sen. Danielle Conrad
Sen. Megan Hunt
Sen. Margo Juarez
Sen. Dan Lonowski
Sen. Glen Meyer
Sen. Rita Sanders
Chairman Murman and members of the Education Committee:
The intent of LB960 is to promote civic engagement, leadership development, and student voice by establishing student board member positions on public school boards in Nebraska.
Civic Action in Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) is defined as practicing active, engaged, and informed citizenship. Through Civic Action, students not only learn the practical applications of their studies, but also become contributing citizens and community members through the action or service they perform. Students have opportunities throughout the K-12 curriculum to practice Civic Action. For example, in the primary grades students explore questions such as, “How can I be an engaged community member?” In the middle level grades, students complete Civic Action Projects addressing local issues. Students complete a service-learning project during their senior-level government class.
Here are a few LPS examples of how our students engage in Civic Action:
- Every high school has a voter registration drive each spring. The Lancaster County Commissioner deputizes student registrars to lead the drive at each building. Deputized students are eligible to register voters for three years, and all students in the building who are eligible to register to vote have the opportunity to do so.
- Every senior completes a service-learning project. Students have more than one pathway to complete the project, through a variety of actions that fulfill the learning objectives. These pathways might include, but are not limited to: completing volunteer hours with a non-profit or city agency in their community, working as a poll worker, attending a school board, city council, or other community meeting, and contacting local government officials.
- Every two years, all students grades 4-12 participate in a mock vote on leaders and issues that mirror the Lancaster County ballot. Each building selects student election commissioners to organize and implement the event in their building. The social studies curriculum team sends lesson materials for Grades 4-12 to teach about informed voting, voting rights, and other election-related topics ahead of this event.
- The We the People Program and curriculum was developed by the Center for Civic Education. Every 9th and 12th grade classroom in LPS has access to a classroom set of books to aid in teaching this program. The curriculum culminates in a mock congressional hearing. Many LPS high schools send teams to compete at the state competition, with at least one team regularly qualifying and competing at the national competition in Washington, D.C..
LPS is committed to defining, practicing, and engaging our students in civic action. Having a law to REQUIRE student members of the Board of Education seems to interfere with the concept of local control; therefore, LPS is taking a position of OPPOSITION to LB 960. While we understand there is an amendment offered, LPS believes that authority over LPS activities is the responsibility of the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education.
Sincerely,
Brad Jacobsen
Associate Superintendent of Civic Engagement
Lincoln Public Schools
