LB653 Advances at the Nebraska Legislature

Debate Friday at the legislature centered on LB653 and subsequent Amendments. Part of the measure would repeal a law passed in 2023 mandating no suspension of children in Kindergarten through second grade.  The Bill advance on a 30-6 vote.

LB 653 seeks to strengthen access to option enrollment for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) by:
• Funding upfront the cost of IEP option students who require substantially more funding than the average per-pupil cost
• Requires the percentage of IEP students denied option enrollment to be proportional to the total percent of option enrollment denials
• Requires a district to not deny option enrollment to a student if their sibling is already an option student within that district
• Improves reporting requirements on the Department of Education's Option Enrollment Rejection Report

District 38 Senator Dave Murman introduced the measure and amendments.

District 37 Senator Stan Clouse of Kearney gave his perspective

District 35 Senator Dan Quick of Grand Island weighed in.

District 34's Dan Lonowski gave an educator's perspective. 

Listen to the complete debate.