- Nebraska set 2030 targets to lift ELA and math proficiency, but current results lag sharply, especially for high school juniors.
- Teacher shortages are easing as unfilled roles fell to about 490 from about 669 year over year, though special education remains the biggest gap.
- A TEEOSA funding error overpaid Omaha Public Schools by $30.5 million, setting up roughly a $61 million budget hit and fueling calls for statewide formula reform.
- Key priorities include reducing chronic absenteeism and tightening teacher training and certification to support literacy and math gains.
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Commissioner Brian Maher laid out ambitious proficiency targets for Nebraska: by 2030, 75% of third graders and 73% of juniors should meet English Language Arts (ELA) benchmarks, while math proficiency goals are 80% for eighth graders and 71% for juniors. However, the 2024-25 academic year data show major gaps—only ~58% of third graders and ~35% of juniors are ELA-proficient, and math proficiency rates are similarly low in juniors (~33%). Without dramatic acceleration in instructional quality, resource allocation, and teacher training in the science of reading and mathematics, these goals appear unlikely to be met.
The teacher shortage shows signs of easing, but challenges persist. Key indicators: unfilled teaching positions declined to approximately 489.7 in 2025-26, down from 669.35 the prior year; total vacancies dropped, and the number of districts reporting shortages fell from 153 to 135. Areas like special education show the largest need (≈140 unfilled roles), followed by elementary education, science, and math. Still, 60% of districts report having no applicants, signaling that recruitment remains a major hurdle; likewise, 18% cite a lack of fully qualified candidates. Strategic interventions—including apprenticeship programs and relaxing certification barriers—are helping, but continued momentum will be necessary.
The TEEOSA school funding formula is under serious scrutiny. A miscalculation in the poverty allowance for Omaha Public Schools (OPS) resulted in $30.5 million in excess state aid for 2025-26, with future state aid being reduced accordingly and a total projected budget shortfall of $61 million for OPS in 2026-27. This incident has reinforced Governor Jim Pillen’s push to reexamine or replace TEEOSA, with equalized funding and property tax relief emerging as central issues.
Looking ahead, Nebraska’s strategic challenges include:
- Closing proficiency gaps in high school ELA and mathematics, particularly for juniors.
- Scaling teacher recruitment and credentialing efforts in high-need subject areas, while ensuring quality and equitable distribution.
- Comprehensive reform of the school funding formula to avoid calculation errors and ensure predictability and fairness in state aid.
- Addressing chronic absenteeism and student health as foundational to any academic improvement.
Supporting Notes
- ELA proficiency among Nebraska third graders in 2024-25 stood at ~58%, juniors at ~35%; math proficiency for juniors was ~33%, and for eighth graders ~57%.
- In 2025-26, unfilled teaching positions in Nebraska dropped to ~490 from ~669 the previous year; districts with unfilled positions fell from 153 to 135; special education saw ~140 unfilled positions.
- Omaha Public Schools received $30.5 million too much in state aid due to a calculation error; the budget impact for 2026-27 is estimated at $61 million.
- State Board approved a strategic plan targeting literacy, math, teacher shortages, and absenteeism; also aims to reduce vacant teacher positions by half by 2030.
- Computation error tied to TEEOSA’s poverty allowance, particularly changes tied to Community Eligibility Provision in National School Lunch Program affecting roughly 70 buildings in OPS.