Nebraska opted into President Donald Trump’s federal school choice program through an executive order from Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE) on Monday.
Pillen revealed and signed the executive order during a visit to St. Teresa Catholic School in Lincoln, Nebraska, alongside Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Mike Flood (R-NE). He thanked the two congressmen for their work on getting the federal scholarship tax credit into the “One, Big Beautiful Bill.”
“And let me just make it really clear, you guys, I am not opting this in,” Pillen told assembled students and nuns. “I am cannonballin’ it in to the state of Nebraska!”
“Nebraskans are givers. It’s $170 million, so that’s what we’re all going to work really hard on in the next year and a half. Get Nebraskans all in the game. We’re all about our kids. This is getting more than our fair share of federal dollars back to Nebraska to help us educate our children,” he said.
Outlining the move, Pillen portrayed it as a win for everyone, preempting criticisms from public school advocates, the most outspoken school voucher critics.
“We have to have great public schools. We have to have great St. Teresa’s, and because of this legislation, both can win,” he said.
“So we’re going to be able to do something that even the teachers union is going to support, for crying out loud, they’re going to support school choice and funding from the federal government to help all kids, no matter where they are. It’s really, really a big deal,” Pillen added.
The federal scholarship tax credit is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2027. It allows families to redirect up to $1,700 in their federal income tax to an organization that would grant them a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to use on school expenses like tuition, tutoring, books, technology, transportation, and others.
SCHOOL CHOICE GAINS SUPPORT FROM BOTH PARTIES IN NEW POLL
The move won major plaudits from school choice advocates, such as the American Federation for Children.
“School choice is coming to Nebraska and soon, to every state. AFC is proud to have stood alongside Nebraska parents and lawmakers for years as they fought for better education options against often overwhelming odds and a power structure with no intention of giving up its monopoly,” AFC CEO Tommy Schultz said in a statement.
“With today’s announcement, it’s clear that these efforts will prevail. We applaud all the bold champions in the legislature, Governor Pillen, and most of all, every Nebraska mom and dad who stood up for something better for their kids.”
