LB1089 LB1089
2020 2020
LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1089
Introduced by Vargas, 7; Lindstrom, 18; Murman, 38.
Read first time January 21, 2020
Committee: Education
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to schools; to amend section 79-729, Reissue
2 Revised Statutes of Nebraska; to add a graduation requirement and
3 provide for waivers as prescribed; and to repeal the original
4 section.
5 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1 Section 1. Section 79-729, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is
2 amended to read:
3 79-729 (1) The Legislature recognizes the importance of assuring
4 that all persons who graduate from Nebraska high schools possess certain
5 minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and understanding.
6 (2) Beginning in school year 1987-88, each high school student shall
7 complete a minimum of two hundred high school credit hours prior to
8 graduation. At least eighty percent of such credit hours shall be core
9 curriculum courses prescribed by the State Board of Education.
10 (3) Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, each student enrolled in
11 a public high school shall complete and submit to the United States
12 Department of Education a Free Application for Federal Student Aid prior
13 to graduating from such high school except as otherwise provided in this
14 subsection. The Commissioner of Education may waive the requirements of
15 this subsection for a student enrolled in a public high school if:
16 (a) A parent or legal guardian of such student certifies to the
17 school district in which such student is enrolled that such parent or
18 legal guardian refuses to complete a Free Application for Federal Student
19 Aid for such student; or
20 (b) A request is submitted by the school district in which such
21 student is enrolled stating that such student is not able to fulfill the
22 requirements of this subsection due to extenuating circumstances as
23 determined by an administrator in such school district.
24 (4) The State Board of Education may establish additional
25 recommended statewide graduation guidelines. This section does not
26 prohibit the governing board of any high school from prescribing specific
27 graduation guidelines as long as such guidelines do not conflict with
28 this section.
29 (5) This section does not apply to high school students whose
30 individualized education plans prescribe a different course of
31 instruction. This section does not prohibit the governing board of any
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1 high school from prescribing specific graduation guidelines as long as
2 such guidelines do not conflict with this section.
3 (6) For purposes of this section, high school means grades nine
4 through twelve and credit hour shall be defined by appropriate rules and
5 regulations of the State Board of Education but shall not be less than
6 the amount of credit given for successful completion of a course which
7 meets at least one period per week for at least one semester.
8 Sec. 2. Original section 79-729, Reissue Revised Statutes of
9 Nebraska, is repealed.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 79-729