NFCSP

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What is the Nebraska Federation of Catholic School Parents?

The Federation was created in 1993 to increase Nebraska's Catholic School Parents grassroots efforts and visibility of Catholic School Parents representation in Nebraska's Unicameral Legislature. NFCSP’s by-laws state that individual membership is open to parents of Catholic-School students and to all others who are interested in promoting the purposes of the Federation, including grandparents of Catholic-School students and alumni of Catholic schools. The purposes of the Federation are set forth in its by-laws:

	to Inform the statewide Catholic-School community about public-policy decisions which affect Catholic Schools, Catholic-School students and their parents;
	to Advocate for parental choice in education without economic penalty as a just and viable means of assuring well-educated citizens;
	to Mobilize the statewide Catholic-School community as an effective grassroots constituency, one which communicates with legislators and other public officials regarding education rights and public policy;
	to Enhance the advocacy efforts of NFCSP’s parent organization, the Nebraska Catholic (Bishops’) Conference with a well-informed, active Catholic-education constituency.

NFCSP themes include:

	Identity as an organization of parents with children enrolled in Catholic schools;
	Unity among Catholic-School parents statewide;
	Collaboration on the part of Catholic-School parents in interacting with the public-policy process; and
	Empowerment for Catholic-School parents in developing greater awareness of, and responding effectively to, public-policy issues which affect their education rights, the schools they choose and their children as students in those schools.

Federation Statement on Parental Choice

NFCSP also is guided by its official position statement on Parental Choice in Education, promulgated in 1996.

NFCSP Position Statement 9-16-96

Nebraska Parents who educate their children in non-government schools for religious or other reasons should be able:

to exercise, without economic penalty, their parental rights and responsibilities to choose the education they deem best for their children;
to obtain economic recognition for the substantial cost savings they provide the State and its governmental subdivisions by educating their children in non-government schools;
to freely exercise their religious preferences in educating their children, regardless of their financial situation;
to exercise choice and promote competition, thereby strengthening the State's government and non-government schools;

Parents are not being treated fairly under the present educational finance system. All parents are subject to the State's mandate to educate their children, but are provided free instruction only in government schools. This creates an economic burden on parents who choose to meet the State's mandate by providing their children with education in non-government schools. The inequitable treatment of parents choosing non-government schools fails to recognize the cost savings they provide the State of Nebraska, and fails to promote their freedom in fulfilling their responsibility to provide the instruction they deem best for their children. Moreover, in those many instances where the parents are financially unable to assume the added financial burden, their choice is effectively denied. Accordingly, the present system needs to be modified in order to meet the above objectives and provide a fair and equitable system for the education of Nebraska children.

Board Members

	Msgr. James Gilg, Superintendent of Schools-Archdiocese of Omaha
	Kathleen Hranac, Kearney, Diocese of Grand Island
	Nicole Neesen, Omaha, Archdiocese of Omaha
	Msgr. John Perkinton, Superintendent of Schools-Diocese of Lincoln
	Jim Stolze, Archdiocese of Omaha
	Rev. Thomas Ryan, Superintendent of Schools- Diocese of Grand Island
	Frank Keller, Humphrey, Archdiocese of Omaha
	Kent Bieker, Falls City, Diocese of Lincoln
	Jeff Wilmes, Fremont, Archdiocese of Omaha
	Amy Owen, Kearney, Diocese of Grand Island
	Connie Munguia, Lincoln, Diocese of Lincoln

THE CONFERENCE:

What is the Nebraska Federation of Catholic School Parents?

NFCSP themes include:

Federation Statement on Parental Choice

Board Members

Bishops' Letter on Educational Choice (October 1998)

Membership Information

Parent Advocate (NFCSP newsletter)

NFCSP Legislative Testimony, 2001, 2006