Learning community levy, transportation repeal proposed

The Omaha learning community’s common levy and open enrollment program would be eliminated under a bill heard by the Education Committee Feb. 22.

LB967, introduced by Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion, would eliminate the common 95-cent levy and 2-cent special building fund and replace them with individual levies in the learning community’s 11 member districts.

The common levy currently is allocated proportionally among the member districts and state aid for the districts is calculated collectively. Repealing the common levy would increase the amount of state aid to the learning community by an estimated $5.4 million beginning in fiscal year 2017-2018.

LB967 also would eliminate the requirement that learning community school districts transport students who participate in the open enrollment program. In addition, the bill would allow for school districts within a learning community to negotiate their own boundaries.

Kintner said the learning community has not increased academic achievement and the common levy has hurt many member districts.

“I think it’s the definition of a failed government program,” he said. “The cornerstone of the failure is the common levy.”

Brett Richards, superintendent for Springfield Platteview Community Schools, testified in support of the bill. He said the common levy benefits Omaha Public Schools (OPS) at the expense of his district. Instead of relying on the common levy to make up for disparities in resources, Richards said, the state should increase the amount of aid it sends to districts with a high percentage of students in poverty.

John Lindsay, representing Omaha Public Schools, testified against the bill. He said the common levy reflects the metro districts’ shared responsibility to ensure that the learning community’s English language learners and children in poverty—most of whom reside in the OPS district—receive enough resources. Repealing it would shift much of that financial burden onto OPS, Lindsay said.

“We would urge that any changes that would take place in the learning community be those that all superintendents and all school districts can agree on,” he said.

The committee took no immediate action on the bill.