THE CONFERENCE:
Candidate Survey (11/2006)
making (1/06)
Statement (2/05)
-Capitol
Correspondent:
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Life Insight:
Columns-2008
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TAX-SUPPORTED BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS ATTENDING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Nebraska Programs:
 | Textbook Loan Program: |
Under Nebraska law, section 79-734, school districts are required to purchase and loan non-religious textbooks to children in private K-12 schools, but only to the extent that funds are appropriated by the Legislature. If the amount needed to accommodate textbook loan requests for any given year exceeds the amount pre-determined by the Legislature, the number of textbook loan requests fulfilled is reduced accordingly. The current annual appropriation is $420,000. While greatly appreciated by those who have participated in this program, this amount is woefully inadequate considering the average cost of a textbook is $40 and there are more than 40,000 children educated in non-governmental schools. Purchasing just one new textbook per child per year using these figures would justify an appropriation in excess of $1,600,000.
| Special Education Services: |
Under Nebraska law, section 79-1127, every school district shall provide or contract for special education programs and transportation for all resident children who would benefit from such programs.
| Public School Bus Access: |
Under Nebraska law, section 79-601, any public school district providing transportation for children attending public schools shall also provide transportation without cost for children who attend nonprofit private schools. Such transportation shall extend only from some point on the regular public school route nearest or most easily accessible to the student's homes to and from a point on the regular public school route nearest or most easily accessible to the school attended by the student. Transportation shall be provided for nonprofit private school children only at times when transportation is being provided for public school children.
Federal Programs:
| E-rate: |
All K-12 schools are eligible for discounts ranging from 20 percent to 90 percent on such things as monthly telephone bills, Internet access, classroom wiring costs, and other advanced telecommunications services. The discounts are based on the percentage of students in the school who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. Funds to support the E-Rate are collected from telecommunications service providers. Companies providing the services to schools are reimbursed directly from the Universal Service Fund.
| No Child Left Behind Act, Title I: |
Title I provides federal financial assistance to local public schools to help children who are failing or most at risk of failing to meet challenging content and student performance standards in school attendance areas with high concentrations of children from low-income families. Title I requires the local public school to provide eligible private-school children with Title I educational services that are equitable to those provided to eligible public-school children.
| No Child Left Behind, Title V: |
Under the Title V program, the Federal Government distributes funds to state and local governmental agencies, or independent contractors, which in turn lend educational materials and equipment to public and private schools, with the enrollment of each participating school determining the amount of aid that it receives. The aid provided must be in the form of secular, neutral and non-ideological services, materials and equipment. Private schools do not acquire control of the funds or title to the materials, equipment or property. The private school receives the materials and equipment by submitting an application detailing which items the school seeks and how it will use them. If approved, the items requested are loaned to the school.
