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 $475,000. While greatly appreciated by those who have participated in this program, this amount is woefully inadequate considering the average cost of a textbook is $50 and there are 38,489 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 $1,900,000.

• 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:

• Title II

Teacher and Principal training and Recruiting Fund: Title IIA Private school teachers are eligible for equitable participation in these grants to the extent that the local educational agency (LEA) uses funds, which at a minimum, must be provided at the same level as services provided to private school teachers in Fiscal year 2001.

Enhancing Education Through Technology: Title IID  This program supports SEAs (state education agencies) and LEAs to increase student achievement through the integration of technology into the curriculum, and to increase student and teacher access to technology, especially in high-need LEAs. Students and teachers attending private schools located in the geographic area served by the grant must be offered equitable participation as required in the uniform provisions.

Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students: Title III  This program helps ensure that children who are limited English proficient (LEP) attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet. Private schools that are located within an LEA that has received a subgrant from the State are provided with equitable services as required in the uniform provisions.

• 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.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka “No Child Left Behind”) is being reauthorized by Congress. The Education Department has released a blueprint for the reauthorization.  See http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html for link to blueprint. To follow committee activity on the reauthorization, visit http://help.senate.gov for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and for House activity, visit http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2010/04/elementary-and-secondary-educa-1.shtml for the House Committee on Education & Labor.

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

This federal law provides for equitable participation by private school students and teachers under Titles I-A and II.  Private schools must be consulted about equitable participation in these benefits and receive equitable shares from ARRA distributions under these subtitles..For ARRA information, see www.recovery.gov or www.recovery.nebraska.gov.

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