LINCOLN- On Wednesday, Gov. Pillen confirmed that he will be asking the State of Nebraska to take on most or all public K-12 school spending, rather than funding schools through local property taxes. Such a shift would make Nebraska a national standout. Speaking in his hometown, Columbus, Pillen said having the state take on an additional $1.65 billion to fund these schools would be a win-win.

The governor is also seeking to cap local political subdivisions' year-to-year spending increases, either at 0% or in line with the consumer price index. "Having the state fund our children will do nothing but strengthen our education," Pillen said at the town hall event. School advocates and several state senators told reporters that they understood Pillen's plan to entail the state taking over general expenditures for the schools minus special building projects or bond levies that would be left up to the school boards.

Pillen argued that his new proposed model would be similar to how the state has assumed funding of Nebraska's community colleges. Sen. Jana Hughes, a former school board member, said she backs the state taking a large role in K-12 financials. "I think finding sustainable funds to support 100% of school funding seems like a big task, so I hope we can make progress toward that goal one step at a time," she said.

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