On a warm Monday evening, volunteers in a church parking lot passed large clipboards to drivers of minivans and pickup trucks, all part of a petition drive. Their objective: block a new measure that would introduce private school vouchers in the state. However, this campaign stirred a sense of déjà vu among Nebraskans. It marked the second ballot initiative within a year by the group Support Our Schools, a public school advocacy organization, following the state Legislature’s recent override of their initial effort.
As the national debate around school vouchers plays out across the country, the Cornhusker State is in a heated tug-of-war between school choice supporters and public school advocates over the passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act in 2023. The Act allocates $25 million from state coffers to tax credits for private school scholarship donations.
“If it gets on the ballot, you can vote whatever way you want. It’s just signing it to give the people a voice that belongs in public schools,” Nebraska State Educators Association President and Support Our Schools sponsor Jenni Benson said. “If you get public funds, you have to be accountable just the same way any other public entity would be if you’re giving them to a private school.”
