This bill seeks to improve funding for Nebraska school districts, particularly focusing on extraordinary expenses related to limited English proficiency students and special education services. It allows districts to apply for payments from the Education Future Fund if their costs for limited English proficiency students exceed $50,000 annually or 0.5% of their budget. The bill also revises the calculation of the elementary site allowance to ensure adequate funding for qualifying districts and expands the eligible uses of the Education Future Fund to cover extraordinary costs associated with limited English proficiency students. Additionally, it establishes a new funding mechanism for these expenditures and mandates the State Treasurer to transfer funds from the General Fund to the Education Future Fund over the next few fiscal years.

Furthermore, the bill amends Section 79-1142 of the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, introducing a new subsection that allows for reimbursement of additional costs for students receiving services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, effective in the 2025-26 school fiscal year. This reimbursement will match the percentage provided for special education programs and will supplement existing funding. The bill also modifies reporting requirements to include total reimbursements under the new subsection. Several deletions are made, including the removal of the previous subsection related to reimbursements, to streamline the funding structure for special education services. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage, with certain provisions becoming operative on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 79-1007.15, 79-1021, 79-1022, 79-1022.02, 79-1023, 79-1027, 79-1031.01, 79-1142