LINCOLN- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen doubled down last week on his effort to curb higher spending by local school districts after the state invested in a tax shift meant to ease property tax bills during the latest legislative session. On Wednesday, the Governor sent a letter to each school board in the state, repeating many of the points aired two weeks ago during a call between Pillen and the state's school superintendents.

Several board members said that schools are spending more because of inflation, and not because of greed, describing the Governor's previous call as "bullying." In the new letter, Pillen urged school board members to use all but a small portion of the Legislature's new $300 million investment in K-12 schools for property tax relief, not new spending. If school districts collect more in property taxes this year compared to the last, said Pillen in the letter, they would be "operating contrary to the intent of the law."

Following the Governor's call with superintendents, several school leaders said they are only increasing spending on necessary needs amid higher costs, like diesel fuel for buses, health care costs, staff salaries, and energy costs. Frustrations over spending bubbled up last week following Pillen's letter, and several school board members from across the state claimed that Pillen's pressure campaign proved that the state's talk of "new funding for education" was just a tax shift and not new funds for improving education statewide.

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