4 Reasons Nebraska Needs Opportunity Scholarships

With the Revenue Committee discussing LB670 (Opportunity Scholarships Act) this week, the teacher's unions and Sherwood orgs are out in full force, using phrases like “voucher scheme” and “tax breaks for the wealthy” to try to mislead the public. It might work. With their billionaire backing, they’re incredibly influential. They don’t even try to disguise their “talking points,” as you can see in the tweet below. ​

All of their talking points and misleading information don’t change the simple facts, however. Many children in Nebraska are suffering academically because their parents can’t afford any options outside of their district public schools.

We have kids in Nebraska who desperately need options. We also have taxpayers who need a break from the ever-increasing demands on their pocketbooks. The following are 4 reasons Nebraska needs Opportunity Scholarships.

1. We could increase graduation rates
According to 2017 data, the college graduation rate in Lincoln was 37.80%, and Omaha’s rate was 35.60%. A recent study shows that students who transfer from public school to private school using tax-credit scholarships are more likely to go on to college and more likely to graduate from college than their peers who stay in public school. More college graduates would mean a better-prepared workforce for our state, and our students would have more opportunities for their future careers.

2. We could provide options for students who have fallen through the cracks
If our state’s test scores are any indicator, Nebraska public schools can’t educate every child. Why not open up opportunities for some of these students to attend other schools that might be able to meet their needs? Nebraska is an increasingly diverse state, and we need diverse school options to be able to successfully educate all students. The more options parents have at their disposal, the more likely it is that they’ll find schools that meet their kids’ needs.

3. We could save taxpayers money
States that already have tax-credit scholarships are saving millions of dollars, and Nebraska could do the same. Private schools can educate students for less money than public schools can, so when public school students move over to the less expensive system, the state saves money. In fact, in the years from the inception of state tax-credit scholarships until the 2013-2014 school year, states saved between $1.7 and $3.4 billion!

4. We could prove that we really do care about low-income students
Wealthy Nebraskans are currently the only people in our state with school choice. By providing education opportunities outside of district public schools, we could prove that we genuinely care about low-income students in our state. Instead of consigning them to schools with a track record of failure, we could give them the option of attending a different school if they want to. School choice is indeed the civil rights issue of our time.

Contact your state senator and express your support for Opportunity Scholarships. It's long past time for equal opportunity.