Public education in Nebraska

K-12 education in Nebraska

Education facts

State superintendent: Brian Maher

Number of students: 328,724

Number of teachers: 23,751

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:13.8

Number of school districts: 244

Number of schools: 1,036

Graduation rate: 88%

Per-pupil spending: $12,939

See also

Nebraska Department of Education • List of school districts in Nebraska • Nebraska • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Nebraska Glossary of education terms

Note: These statistics are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of October 2022.

The Nebraska public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Nebraska had 328,724 students enrolled in a total of 1,036 schools in 244 school districts. There were 23,751 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 14 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Nebraska spent on average $12,939 per pupil. The state's graduation rate was 88 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Nebraska compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Public education in Nebraska
State	Schools	Districts	Students	Teachers	Teacher to pupil ratio	Per pupil spending*
Nebraska	1,036	244	328,724	23,751	1:13.8	$12,939
United States	90,323	13,194	47,755,383	2,783,705	1:16	$13,494
*Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020" National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates"

Academic performance

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Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota), Nebraska had a greater percentage of fourth grade students score at or above proficient in math and reading than South Dakota, but a lower percentage compared to Iowa and Kansas. The best scores in the state were earned by fourth graders in math, with 45 percent scoring at or above proficient.

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
Nebraska	45%	36%	37%	37%
Iowa	48%	36%	38%	37%
Kansas	48%	40%	38%	36%
South Dakota	40%	38%	32%	36%
United States	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Nebraska and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.

Nebraska schools reported a graduation rate of 88.5 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, second highest in the country.

In Nebraska, more students took the ACT than the SAT in 2013, earning an average ACT score of 21.5.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State	Graduation rate, 2013		Average ACT composite, 2013		Average SAT composite, 2013
	Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
Nebraska	88.5%	First	21.5	84%	1734	4%
Iowa	89.7%	First	22.1	66%	1763	3%
Kansas	85.7%	Second	21.8	75%	1752	6%
South Dakota	82.7%	Third	21.9	78%	1760	3%
United States	81.4%		20.9	54%	1498	50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Nebraska was lower than the national average at 2.1 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 2.2 percent in the 2011-2012 school year..

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Nebraska

School choice options in Nebraska included homeschooling, online learning, private schools and mandatory public school open enrollment policies.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Nebraska is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Nebraska state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.

Nebraska spent approximately 14.6 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from local funds. Nebraska spent the second lowest as a percentage of its total budget on public education when compared to its neighboring states.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013
State	Percentage of budget	Per pupil spending	Revenue sources
			Percent federal funds	Percent state funds	Percent local funds
Nebraska	14.6%	$11,579	9.7%	32.1%	58.3%
Iowa	16.4%	$10,313	7.6%	51.7%	40.7%
Kansas	26.8%	$9,828	7.4%	56.4%	36.2%
South Dakota	14.1%	$8,470	14.8%	31%	54.1%
United States	19.8%	$10,700	9.1%	45.6%	45.3%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.

In Nebraska, the primary source of school system revenue came from local sources, at $2.2 billion. Nebraska reported the second lowest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)
State	Federal revenue	State revenue	Local revenue	Total revenue
Nebraska	$366,241	$1,217,306	$2,211,092	$3,794,639
Iowa	$459,132	$3,118,413	$2,452,461	$6,030,006
Kansas	$420,820	$3,193,838	$2,051,126	$5,665,784
South Dakota	$194,731	$408,009	$711,591	$1,314,331
United States	$54,367,305	$272,916,892	$270,645,402	$597,929,599
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.

Public education expenditures in Nebraska totaled approximately $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2012. Nebraska reported the second lowest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)
State	General expenditures	Capital outlay	Other	Total expenditures
Nebraska	$3,356,734	$348,343	$90,194	$3,795,271
Iowa	$4,971,944	$905,979	$143,821	$6,021,744
Kansas	$4,871,381	$682,545	$205,847	$5,759,773
South Dakota	$1,100,100	$172,739	$30,036	$1,302,875
United States	$527,096,473	$48,773,386	$25,897,123	$601,766,981
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the U.S.

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Nebraska, the average salary increased by 7.7 percent.

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
	1999-2000	2009-2010	2011-2012	2012-2013	Percent difference
Nebraska	$45,421	$49,345	$48,955	$48,931	7.7%
Iowa	$48,757	$52,973	$51,076	$51,528	5.7%
Kansas	$47,805	$49,804	$47,496	$47,464	-0.7%
South Dakota	$39,728	$41,456	$39,450	$39,580	-0.4%
United States	$57,133	$58,925	$56,340	$56,383	-1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

Organizations

State agencies

See also: Nebraska Department of Education

The Nebraska Department of Education oversees early childhood, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education in Nebraska. It is a constitutional agency, approved by voters and governed by state and federal statutes, and operates under the direction the Nebraska State Board of Education. Matthew Blomstedt was appointed as the Nebraska Commissioner of Education in 2013.

The mission statement of the Nebraska Department of Education reads:

“

To lead and support the preparation of all Nebraskans for learning, earning, and living.

”

The Nebraska State Board of Education is an elected, constitutional body that oversees the Nebraska Department of Education. It is a nonpartisan body that has members from each district. Board members serve four-year terms and are not paid except for expense reimbursements.

Unions

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Nebraska ranked 26th overall for union power and influence, or average, which was in the third tier of five.

The main union related to the Nebraska school system is the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA). The NSEA is the largest education association in the state.

List of local Nebraska school unions:

• Nebraska State Education Association
• Omaha Education Association
• Lincoln Education Association

Government sector lobbying

See also: Nebraska government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Nebraska Association of School Boards.

Transparency

Nebraska Spending is a publicly available website created by the Nebraska government. It discloses information about how the state spends taxpayer dollars and includes data on agency expenditures and contracts. Nebraska Spending was created at the initiative of State Treasurer Shane Osborn in July 2007.

Studies and reports

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Quality Counts 2014 Report U.S. Data

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Nebraska received a score of 83.1, or a B average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. The state's highest score, excluding the general "chance for success" category, was in school finance, at 77.0, or a C+ average. The lowest score was in transitions and alignment, at 64.3, or a D average. Nebraska had the highest score for the school finance category compared to surrounding states. The chart below displays the scores of Nebraska and its surrounding states.

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

Public education report cards, 2014
State	Chance for success	K-12 achievement	Standards, assessments and accountability	The teaching profession	School finance	Transitions and alignment
Nebraska	83.1 (B)	67.0 (D+)	67.6 (D+)	69.8 (C-)	77.0 (C+)	64.3 (D)
Iowa	84.2 (B)	67.3 (D+)	74.5 (C)	78.7 (C+)	73.8 (C)	82.1 (B-)
Kansas	81.9 (B-)	68.4 (D+)	81.2 (B-)	67.4 (D+)	74.2 (C)	75.0 (C)
South Dakota	79.6 (B-)	63.2 (D)	73.0 (C)	60.8 (D-)	68.2 (D+)	64.3 (D)
United States average	77.3 (C+)	70.2 (C-)	85.3 (B)	72.5 (C)	75.5 (C)	81.1 (B-)
Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

Nebraska contains six types of school districts:

• Class II districts are located in an area with a population below 1,000.
• Class III districts are located in an area with a population between 1,000 and 149,999.
• Class IV districts are located in an area with a population of 100,000 or more in primary cities.
• Class V districts are located in an area with a population of 200,000 or more in metropolitan cities.
• Unified districts are mergers of two or more Class II or III districts. This merger must last at least three years and may be permanent. The board is made up of board members from the participating school districts. The merged districts are still legally independent but they share resources.
• Educational service unit districts provide specialized support services to other districts.

School board composition

Nebraska school board members are elected by residents of the school district. Nebraska school board elections typically follow one of these two methods, or a mixture thereof:

• At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
• District: Only voters residing in a specific geographic area within the school district may vote on certain candidates, who must also reside in that specific geographic area.

School board sizes and term lengths depend on the type of school district. Class II district boards have six members who serve four-year terms. Class III district boards can have six or nine members who serve six-year terms. Class IV district boards have as many members as the local city council, and members serve four-year terms. Class V district boards have seven or nine members who serve four-year terms.

Term limits

Nebraska does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.

Elections

See also: Nebraska school board elections, 2025

The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2025 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2025. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2025 Nebraska School Board Elections
District	Primary	General Election	General Runoff Election	Regular term length	Seats up for election	Total board seats	2022-2023 enrollment
Lincoln Public Schools	4/8/2025	5/6/2025	N/A	4	4	7	41,850

Path to the ballot

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Nebraska, a person must be a registered voter in the district at the time of the candidacy filing deadline.

School board candidates must file for office with the election commissioner, county clerk or city clerk, depending on the district. Candidates running in districts with territory in multiple counties must file with the election commissioner or county clerk in the county where the most qualified voters in the election reside.

Campaign finance

Nebraska requires school board candidates who receive or spend $5,000 or more in a calendar year to file a statement of organization with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and to pay a filing fee of $100. After that time, candidates must file regular campaign statements with that commission disclosing contributions and expenditures of $250 and more. If a candidate receives a contribution of $1,000 or more in the 14 days preceding the election, that candidate must also file a report of late contributions.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Nebraska state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Nebraska ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Nebraska Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund, Amendment 5 (2006)
2. Nebraska Education a Fundamental Right, Measure 411 (1996)
3. Nebraska English in Private Schools, Amendment 1 (2002)
4. Nebraska School Consolidation, Referendum 1 (1986)
5. Nebraska English in Private Schools, Amendment 1 (May 2000)
6. Nebraska Referendum 1, Increase State Funding for Public Schools through Increased Sales and Income Taxes Referendum (1990)
7. Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Amendment 4 (1990)
8. Nebraska Dissolution of Class I School Districts, Measure 422 (2006)
9. Nebraska Investment for Educational Funds, Amendment 2 (1892)
10. Nebraska Investment of Educational Funds, Amendment 9 (1896)
11. Nebraska Investment of Educational Funds, Amendment 2 (1908)
12. Nebraska University Removal, Initiative 1 (1914)
13. Nebraska English as Official Language, Amendment 3 (September 1920)
14. Nebraska Temporary School Fund, Amendment 20 (September 1920)
15. Nebraska Election of University Regents, Amendment 22 (September 1920)
16. Nebraska Age Requirements for Industrial Schools, Amendment 24 (September 1920)
17. Nebraska Boards of Education, Amendment 25 (September 1920)
18. Nebraska Control of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Amendment 1 (1928)
19. Nebraska Superintendent of Public Instruction, Amendment 4 (1938)
20. Nebraska Superintendent of Public Instruction, Amendment 1 (1940)
21. Nebraska State Aid for Schools, Amendment 2 (1946)
22. Nebraska Department of Education, Amendment 4 (1952)
23. Nebraska Board of Educational Lands and Funds, Amendment 2 (1954)
24. Nebraska Commissioner of Education, Amendment 9 (1960)
25. Nebraska Commissioner of Education, Amendment 1 (1964)
26. Nebraska Contracts for Private Schools, Amendment 3 (1966)
27. Nebraska Board of Education Membership, Amendment 4 (1966)
28. Nebraska Transportation for Private Schools, Amendment 6 (1966)
29. Nebraska Educational Fund Investment, Amendment 12a (1966)
30. Nebraska Renaming Normal Schools, Amendment 2 (1968)
31. Nebraska Membership of University Regents, Amendment 7 (1968)
32. Nebraska Long-term Student Loans, Amendment 13 (1968)
33. Nebraska Bonds for Universities, Amendment 5 (1970)
34. Nebraska Educational Trust Funds, Amendment 11 (1970)
35. Nebraska Private School Grants, Amendment 12 (1970)
36. Nebraska Board of Trustees of Higher Education, Amendment 14 (1970)
37. Nebraska Educational Funds, Amendment 16 (May 1972)
38. Nebraska Education Provisions, Amendment 10 (1972)
39. Nebraska University Board of Regents Membership, Amendment 1 (1974)
40. Nebraska Public School Support, Referendum 1 (1974)
41. Nebraska Student Loans and Grants, Amendment 6b (1976)
42. Nebraska Financial Support for Public Schools, Referendum 1 (1978)
43. Nebraska Public Education Financing, Amendment 4 (1980)
44. Nebraska Referendum 435, Private Education Scholarship Program Referendum (2024)

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nebraska education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Public education in Nebraska - Google News

See also

• Historical public education information in Nebraska
• Nebraska state budget and finances
• Nebraska Department of Education
• List of school districts in Nebraska
• Nebraska
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• Nebraska Department of Education
• Nebraska Public School Ratings by PSK12
• Nebraska Public School Ratings by Great Schools