Nebraska joins compact to remove educational barriers for military children

Senators passed a bill May 10 that will ease the transition of moving to the state for children whose parents are in the military.

Bellevue Sen. Scott Price introduced LB575, the bill that will permit military children to:
• enroll in school when they arrive and provide a hand-carried record;
• have 30 days to obtain required immunizations;
• continue schooling at the same grade level they were in prior to transferring;
• participate in athletics and extracurricular programs, even if they are in the middle of the school year;
• have additional excused absences if a parent is preparing for or returning from deployment;
• have a power of attorney as guardianship; and
• complete graduation requirements and receive a high school diploma from their previous school if they transferred in the middle of their senior year.

The bill also will require the state Department of Education to create and oversee a council within the department that would coordinate the state’s participation in the compact. The department will be allowed to accept devises, donations or bequests to pay for costs associated with administering the compact.

The bill passed on a 43-0 vote.