LB 296 — Require the State Department of Education to create a centralized education records system and employ registrars relating to students under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and change provisions relating to graduation requirements and the State Department of Education Improvement Grant Fund

LB296 LB296 2025 LEGISLATURELEGISLATIVE OFBILL NEBRASKA296 ONEApproved HUNDREDby NINTHthe LEGISLATUREGovernor FIRSTMarch SESSION11, LEGISLATIVE2025 BILL 296 FINAL READING   Introduced by Arch, 14;

Read  firstA timeBILL JanuaryFOR 15,AN 2025ACT Committee:relating to education;

Education A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to education;

Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska, -1- LB296 LB296 2025 Section 1.

The memorandum shall include the intent for the State Department of Education to contract with an outside consultant with expertise in the education of court-involvedcourt- involved students to assist in the development of such policies and procedures.

(3) The development of such policies and procedures for the sharing of data shall be collaborative and shall include input from the appropriate entities including, but not limited to, the State Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Probation Administration, the State Court Administrator, the juvenile court system, the superintendent of schools for the youth and -2- LB296 LB296 2025 rehabilitation centers, public school districts, educators, and court-court-involved involved students and their parents.

(c)(i) On and after July 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Education shall employ registrars who shall be responsible for ensuring the -3- LB296 LB296 2025 education records of students under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court are maintained in an accurate and timely manner in the centralized education records system created -1- LB296 LB296 2025 pursuant to subdivision (5)(a) of this section.

(iii) The Commissioner of Education shall either upon request or in response to an analysis conducted by a registrar pursuant to subdivision (5)(c)(ii)(5)(c) (ii) of this section award credit hours pursuant to rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the State Board of Education to any high school student who is or was under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court and has evidence of the completion of academic work that would generally be required for such credit hours.

-4- LB296 LB296 2025 (2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, for For students attending a public school:

or (iii) A student who is nineteen years of age or older or is an emancipated minor signs and submits the appropriate form prescribed by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to subdivision (3)(c) of this -5- LB296 LB296 2025 section stating that such student declines to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

(4)(a) Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, for a student who meets the requirements of subsection (1) of this section and who was at -6-any point during -2- LB296 LB296 2025 any point during high school under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court and residing in an out-of-homeout- of-home placement pursuant to such jurisdiction:

(a) A timeline for the distribution of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the forms prescribed pursuant to subdivision (3)(3)(c) (c) of this section by public high schools and for the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the forms prescribed pursuant to subdivision (3)(c) of this section;

and -7- LB296 LB296 2025 (b) Standards regarding the information that a public high school must provide to students regarding:

(i) Specific measurable objectives for improving education outcomes for early childhood students, elementary students, middle school students, or high school students or for improving the transitions between any successive stages of education or between education and the -8- LB296 LB296 2025 workforce;

-3- LB296 LB296 2025 Such grants shall be funded using lottery funds under section 79-3501.

(b) (c) On or before December 1 of each calendar year, the state -9- LB296 LB296 2025 board shall electronically submit a report to the Clerk of the Legislature on all such grant programs, including, but not limited to, the recipients of the programs and evaluations of the effectiveness of each grant program.

(b) For purposes of this subsection, learning platform means a three-dimensional,three- dimensional, game-based learning platform for use by middle school and high school students.

-10- LB296 LB296 2025 (iv) Any developer that receives a grant under this subsection shall provide access to and use of its learning platform to all Nebraska school districts.

(v) Any grant awarded pursuant to this subsection shall be awarded by July 1 of each year.

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