State education department receives $55 million literacy grant

The Nebraska Department of Education was awarded a nearly $55 million grant to be used over the next five years for a comprehensive literacy program. Nebraska is one of 23 states to receive the grant from the federal government.

NDE Commissioner Brian Maher announced the grant at the September board meeting on Friday. He said the money will help in meeting a goal the State Board of Education set last month to have 75% of third-graders proficient in reading by 2030.

“I want to make sure that kids in Nebraska read a little bit better tomorrow than they're reading today,” Maher said. “That's our goal.”

The money will go to resources like professional development, family literacy and instructional materials. The state also plans to create an Office of Literacy.

The State Board of Education approved NDE’s biennium budget request to the state for 2025-2027.

The department is asking the Nebraska Legislature for increases in several areas, including Educational Service Unit funding, various software systems, support schools needing improvement and the statewide assessment system. The increases would amount to over $14.8 million.

Board member Jacquelyn Morrison posed to the board asking for an additional increase in funds for high-ability learners. She said school districts receive about $2,300 annually to identify gifted and talented students, and that an NDE staff member said the districts needed more.

“Districts don’t really see this as sufficient to really do the work,” Morrison said. “They’re subsidizing this work, but statutorily it says they have to identify students. So we’re telling them they have to do something, yet the funding to do it is so minimal.”

Board member Lisa Fricke said there hasn’t been an increase in 15 years.

Board members were unsure about what would be the right increase to ask for, especially so close to the Sept. 15 deadline to submit the budget request. The board decided not to amend the request.

The board’s rules and regulations committee is currently in the process of updating the rule that pertains to high-ability learners.

The board recognized September as Attendance Awareness Month. This is in line with one of the board’s 2025-2027 legislative priorities to raise awareness about chronic absenteeism. About 22% of students were considered chronically absent across Nebraska last school year.

The next board meeting is set for Oct. 4 in Grand Island.