Millard Education Association President Tim Royers (seated left) is questioned by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha (right) after testifying against a voucher bill, Legislative Bill 1386. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — The next front in Nebraska’s school choice fight could shift toward a proposal by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair under which the state would deposit $1,500 a year per student into a new type of state-managed savings account for parents and guardians of students attending private K-12 schools.
State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair speaks on the floor of the Legislature in May 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner).
Using the language of national school choice advocates, Hansen said his goal is to “fund students, not systems.” He said he has seen other states such as Iowa and Arizona use similar plans to subsidize private school costs.
“Parents are the primary educators of their children, not the government,” he told the Legislature’s Education Committee on Tuesday. “Our role should assist parents in that job.”