LINCOLN- Nebraska education leaders asked state lawmakers Tuesday to create a student-loan forgiveness program to help nudge more people into the profession, which has suffered major losses during the pandemic.

Members of the Legislature's Education Committee reviewed multiple bills that would forgive up to $30,000 in student loans for teachers who agree to work in a Nebraska school. Like many states, Nebraska saw many experienced teachers retire early during the pandemic amid the stress of remote learning and possible in-class exposure to the coronavirus.

“This has been a problem before the pandemic, but the pandemic exacerbated it,” said Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington, who sponsored a measure that would forgive up to $6,000 a year, with a $30,000, five-year maximum.

DeBoer said the measure would encourage education students to stay in Nebraska after finishing college and help offset low starting salaries for new teachers. She said the proposal was intended to help both public and private school teachers. She noted that Nebraska already has a similar forgiveness program for rural doctors.

Education officials said the shortage in Nebraska is especially severe in rural schools and argued that the low pay makes it more difficult for new teachers.

“You're really entering a field that, starting out, doesn't pay very well," said Kyle McGowan, the superintendent of Crete Public Schools and a spokesman for Nebraska school administrators and teachers.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn said a loan forgiveness program would take the state “a step in the right direction” to address the chronic shortage.

“It's only going to become worse if we don't do something,” Linehan said.

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