REPORT: Nebraska Falls to Bottom of Education Freedom Rankings
by John Gage
A new report released by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) showed Nebraska ranks last in the nation for “State Education Freedom.” ALEC, which is a nonpartisan membership organization of state legislators, scored Nebraska at 12.75 points out of 100 points and an F rating, while the top state, Florida, scored 94.37 and earned an A+.
Nebraska was previously ranked 32nd in the 2025 Index of State Education Freedom. The index measures how well states provide educational options to families and includes five categories – student-centered funding, charter schools, home schools, virtual schools, and open enrollment.
“Nebraska also experienced a precipitous drop, falling 18 spots to #50 after the Opportunity Scholarship Program was repealed despite providing 5,500 scholarships to the state’s neediest families,” the report noted.
Voters passed Referendum 435 in 2024, which repealed a $10 million education scholarship program for students to attend accredited private schools. The group “Support our Schools Nebraska” spearheaded the seven-million-dollar effort to overturn the program, arguing that the state should not be helping pay for private education.
Jonathan Williams, the president and chief economist of ALEC, said the ranking was bad news for Nebraska students.
“It is a sad day for parents and children in Nebraska, as the Cornhusker State now ranks worse than California and New York in terms of providing parents and children education freedom options,” he said.
Governor Pillen Demands Legislative Action
Governor Jim Pillen, in a statement, said that it was “shameful” for Nebraska to be at the bottom of the “State Education Freedom” ranking.
“It is shameful that Nebraska received an F in these rankings. For years, school choice advocates have battled for kids and parents to escape failing schools,” he said. “In 2024 we finally got Opportunity Scholarships passed, only to have them ripped away from needy kids in a referendum campaign funded by union bosses and fueled by misinformation.”
Since the repeal of the program in 2024, Governor Jim Pillen became the first governor to opt their state into a federal state credit for scholarship-granting organizations, which was a part of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
The program does not go into effect until January 1, 2027, but it allows families below 300% of the area median income to be eligible for funds on qualified expenses, including tuition, fees, books, and school supplies. The program applies to both private, public, and homeschool students.
Pillen said he was proud of being the first to opt into the program.
“I’m proud of our leadership in the Governor’s office on this issue, which has included being the first state in America to opt into President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill school choice scholarship program and, more recently, to include a similar state program in my executive budget,” he said. “But I need the Legislature to join me in fighting for students, not systems.”
Williams said he was encouraged by the support of the governor and the Legislature for future support of “education freedom.”
“Governor Pillen and many Senators are taking note and are looking for ways to bring education freedom back to Nebraska,” he said. Williams added that the governor’s decision to opt into the federal program was a “positive step.”
In his budget this year, Pillen included a $7 million allocation for scholarships for children to attend private K-12 schools. The governor’s office said the goal was to offer more choice to low-income students and families.
Tim Royers, the president of the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA), said his group opposes the budget item. “In a year when the state budget dominates every discussion at the Capitol, Nebraska’s leaders should be putting students and educators first,” Royers said. “Public dollars belong in public schools.”
The Plains Sentinel has reached out to the NSEA for further comment on the story.
John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.
