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Gov. Pillen asks Nebraska lawmakers to overhaul school aid formula in 2025 • Nebraska Examiner

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Gov. Pillen asks Nebraska lawmakers to overhaul school aid formula in 2025 • Nebraska Examiner


LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen is officially calling on Nebraska lawmakers to address “inconsistencies” in the state’s main school aid formula in the 2025 legislative session.

Pillen, in a Friday news release, pointed to a new report from his policy research office that compiled property tax data for new state senators. The governor noted that newly elected senators — with 16 fresh faces set to join the body in January — might not have a complete understanding of the state’s funding formula, or the impact of recent legislation.

Gov. Jim Pillen officially unviles his property tax plan as a summer-long attempt to find a path to reduce local property taxes. July 18, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

The report includes data from Nebraska’s 244 school districts in the previous school year and indicates how decreases in state aid led to property tax increases.

“This document helps illustrate the impact of those changes and, hopefully, [will] inform discussions as we embark on the next legislative session and resume efforts to provide additional property tax relief to Nebraskans,” Pillen said in a statement.

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TEEOSA breakdown

The conversation revolves around the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, better known as TEEOSA, which has been perennially updated since its adoption in 1990. 

TEEOSA, also known as the “equalization aid” formula, determines funding aid based on the difference of about 18 “needs” minus six “resources” for each public school district. If “resources” outweigh “needs,” the district doesn’t receive the aid and is classified as “unequalized.”

“Needs” include student growth, poverty and English as a second language. “Resources” include net option enrollment, allocated income tax funds and base aid per student.

These are the various components that make up the “resources” and “needs” that amount to “equalization aid” as part of the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA). (Courtesy of the Nebraska Department of Education)

Another “resource” is based on possible property tax collections, assuming a $1 hypothetical tax rate across each school district. This is the amount the state assumes a district could raise if it had that high of a tax rate, based on annual valuations.

This means when valuations go up, a district’s equalization aid automatically goes down, possibly to the point they are “unequalized” and lose the extra funding.

Finding stability

For example, Lincoln Public Schools, the state’s second largest district, is likely to be unequalized in the coming years. LPS lost $31.85 million in state aid this year, a decrease of 30.4%, and raised property taxes by $31.57 million in response, a 9.6% increase.

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Three other school districts — Millard Public Schools, Papillion-La Vista Public Schools and Gretna Public Schools — also saw “dramatic drops in state aid.” Combined with LPS, the four districts lost $56.27 million in state aid and increased property taxes by $62.25 million. That accounts for 82% of the total increase in property taxes statewide for that period.

State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn and Tom Brandt of Plymouth meet at the front of the legislative chamber near Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler. Aug. 17, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Kenny Zoeller, director of the governor’s policy research office, said state aid decreased for 111 school districts for the 2024-25 school year.

“We need to find a way to better help districts budget for the aid they do get, thereby creating some predictability and, hopefully, further reduce what Nebraskans end up paying in property taxes year over year,” Zoeller said in a statement.

Pillen and Zoeller do not explain how to provide more stability. However, they state that initial research indicates newly placed soft “caps” on how much school districts can increase their property taxes slowed total increases to 2.5%, or about $75.82 million.

That’s the smallest annual increase since 2018 and the smallest percentage increase this century.

‘They’re on pins and needles’

Multiple state lawmakers proposed addressing TEEOSA in the Pillen-led special session on property taxes this summer, including State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn and Jana Hughes of Seward.

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Linehan, the Legislature’s outgoing Revenue Committee chair, called for eliminating the “resources” side of the funding formula, to better calculate each district’s needs. She later proposed using TEEOSA to distribute increased sales and “sin” tax revenue to districts for property tax relief. Linehan is term-limited and won’t return next year.

State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward meets with State Sens. Tom Brandt of Plymouth and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln during the first day of the Legislature’s special session on property taxes on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Hughes, a former school board member in Seward, worked with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on a proposal to reform TEEOSA over 10 years, or sooner if possible. Her proposal would have decreased maximum school property tax rates gradually over 10 years.

Pillen had proposed having the state take over nearly all local operational property taxes, which account for an average of 60% of Nebraskans’ property tax bills. However, when Linehan introduced Pillen’s core proposal, it did not include that component.

Hughes said she agrees TEEOSA needs to be a focus but thinks it will take time and an in-depth look, such as what happened when TEEOSA was first created, with the Revenue and Education Committees collaborating on the proposal, and relying on years of research and design.

“I get this sense from schools right now, every year they’re on pins and needles of what is going to change or what is the legislative body going to do?” Hughes said.

‘The formula is inconsistent’

In 2023, the Legislature helped to increase aid to schools by doubling special education reimbursements from 40% of expenditures to 80% and set a baseline “foundation aid,” about $1,500 per student in each public school district.

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Hughes said some school districts “hunker down” and ask residents to invest through property taxes to prevent budget cuts or to react to uncertainty of whether future funds will be available.

“It’s just a little vicious cycle a bit when valuations go up,” Hughes said.

State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, center. Aug. 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

State Sen. Brad von Gillern of Elkhorn, vice chair of the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, said he hadn’t yet digested the report but agreed with its main findings. He said he’s aware of people encouraging a reconsideration of TEEOSA and is “supportive of a thoughtful and patient process that includes all stakeholders, to improve the state funding calculation.”

Hughes said she and a team of lawmakers will return with a 2025 proposal that will be smaller but still “take a little bite” out of reforming TEEOSA.

Pillen has requested that lawmakers consider similar legislation.

“The formula is inconsistent and hits taxpayers hard,” the policy research office report states. “It is not fair to them or the schools. Providing certainty to school districts will allow Nebraska to have sustained property tax reductions for the first time in history.”

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Where to watch Nebraska vs UCLA today: Time, TV channel for Week 11 game

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Where to watch Nebraska vs UCLA today: Time, TV channel for Week 11 game


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An intriguing Big Ten matchup will take place in the Rose Bowl in Week 11 with Nebraska visiting UCLA.

The Cornhuskers’ slim chance of making the College Football Playoff were wiped away when they lost at home to USC. Even worse, Nebraska lost its quarterback with Dylan Raiola out for the season with a broken fibula. Now, Matt Rhule turns to freshman TJ Lateef to end the campaign on a high note.

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It’s a fresh UCLA team returning to action, coming off a bye week after it got steamrolled by Indiana. At 3-5, the Bruins are eyeing bowl eligibility while having three games against ranked opponents left, making this game an important one to win.

Stream Nebraska vs. UCLA football live with Fubo (free trial)

Here’s how to watch the Nebraska-UCLA game, including time, TV channel and streaming information, and game odds:

What TV channel is Nebraska vs UCLA on today? 

Nebraska vs. UCLA will be broadcast nationally on Fox in Week 11 of the 2025 college football season. Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst) will call the game from the booth, with Josh Sims reporting from the sidelines. 

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Streaming options for the game include the Fox Sports Go app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries Fox and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Nebraska vs UCLA time today 

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Nebraska and UCLA are set to kick off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 8 from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Stream Nebraska vs. UCLA football live with Fubo (free trial)

Nebraska vs UCLA predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, Nov. 5 

  • Spread: UCLA (-1.5)
  • Over/under: 43.5
  • Moneyline: UCLA (-120) | Nebraska (+100)

Prediction: UCLA 19, Nebraska 16

Expect this one to be a defensive battle with both offenses not really having much firepower. Without Raiola, Nebraska is unable to find a rhythm and falls to UCLA for the second straight season.



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Huskers facing upstart UCLA Bruins in late-night west coast meetup

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Huskers facing upstart UCLA Bruins in late-night west coast meetup


PASADENA, Calif. (WOWT/KOLN) – Nebraska’s crisscrossing adventures in the recently expanded Big 10 find the Huskers in a late-night showdown against the upstart UCLA Bruins.

Nebraska comes to the west coast more underhanded than usual, as star QB Dylan Raiola suffered a season ending injury in the third quarter of the loss to USC the previous week.

Sophomore Tackle Gunnar Gottula is also out for the rest of the year, suffering a knee injury and adding on to a increasing laundry-list of injuries on the offensive side of the ball.

Backup QB TJ Lateef, a true freshman with athletic upside and plying experience in Nebraska’s two big blowouts, will have to take the reins against a UCLA squad that has found new life since firing their head coach, but still boasting a 3-5 record with wins over Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland all in sequence.

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Head Coach Matt Rhule said the team is focused on setting Lateef up for success in his debut.

“You know this week to me is not about TJ, at least my message to our guys,” Rhule said. “It’s about everyone else making this where every single person has to do their job at such a high level that TJ can just do his job and not try to do anything more. But TJ can do his job. He’s an excellent player and I think everyone’s going to see him play really, really well.”

FULL VIDEO: Nebraska QB TJ Lateef | USC Post-Game Press Conference (11/1/25)

While the Huskers are already bowl-bound, one would imagine a new version of the Big Red will be taking the field once Saturday rolls around.

GAME INFO

  • WHERE: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
  • WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8
  • WATCH: FOX
  • LISTEN: Huskers Radio Network
  • VEGAS ODDS: UCLA -1.5, O/U 43.5

PRE-GAME UPDATES

PREVIOUS NEBRASKA FOOTBALL COVERAGE



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Chris Backemeyer runs in Nebraska’s 1st District Democratic U.S. House primary

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Chris Backemeyer runs in Nebraska’s 1st District Democratic U.S. House primary


LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Democrats have another candidate in eastern Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District primary.

Former U.S. State Department diplomat Chris Backemeyer will face renewable energy advocate Eric Moyer in the Democratic primary. Both are vying to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood.

“Frankly, I see our country is just going really in the wrong direction,” said Backemeyer.

Backemeyer has worked for the State Department for 20 years in Washington, D.C., with a focus on counterterrorism, economic policy and the Middle East. He moved back to Lincoln last month after accepting a buyout from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which thinned out the ranks of the federal bureaucracy in the early days of the second Trump administration.

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He said he felt there was “no mission or purpose left” in working for the State Department after the DOGE cuts, and that serving in Congress was the only way to push back against Trump’s approach to governing. Backmeyer’s pitch to voters is a moderate focus on affordability, reasserting congressional authority over tariffs and addressing rising health care prices and the national debt.

“Both parties are moving in opposite directions … I think there’s a lot of people in the middle that just want good … middle-of-the-road policies that will solve the problems that they see on a day-to-day basis,” Backemyer said.

Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will most likely face Flood, who as yet has no GOP opponent and has won his past two elections by 20 and 16 percentage points, in a seat considered safely Republican by the nonpartisan Center for Politics, The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections.

The 1st District comprises 12 Nebraska counties, including heavily Democratic Lancaster County, which is often drowned out by the region’s more conservative rural areas.

Backemeyer said while it will be a “tough race,” the district being considered a safe seat isn’t a good reason not to “get into the fight.” He pointed to his work at the State Department as an example of his being able to work with people regardless of political differences.

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One of Backemeyer’s areas of emphasis as a diplomat was Iran. He was a senior State Department negotiator for Obama’s Iran nuclear deal in 2015. During Trump’s first term, He was replaced by Andrew L. Peek in 2017 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iranian Affairs and moved to a new role. Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018.

Backemeyer was also a national security advisor to former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Daniel Bass, a spokesperson for the Flood campaign, criticized his work with former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. He said Backemeyer has “spent more of his life in Washington than in Nebraska, so it’s no surprise that he was inspired to run by coastal Democrat wins this week.”

“Meanwhile, Mike Flood has fought for Nebraskans,” Bass said. “To represent us, you have to be one of us.”

During Flood’s Lincoln town hall in August, Backemeyer asked Flood a question: “Who do you work for?” referring to his vote on Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” He used it as a part of his campaign lunch video. The Flood campaign pointed out that Backemeyer was still living in D.C. at the time.

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Moyer, asked about a new opponent, said the entrance of another Democratic candidate in the race validates that there is “no such thing as a safe congressional seat when Donald Trump’s failed policies are on the ballot.”

“My campaign is building momentum throughout the district, and a competitive primary will serve the people of Nebraska well,” Moyer said.

Backemeyer said a competitive Democratic primary will only make the Democratic nominee stronger. He said he respects Moyer, but argues his experience in Washington prepares him for Congress.

“I’ve been working on some of the country’s most difficult national security challenges … I’ve briefed presidents and vice presidents and secretaries of state. I think I have the ability to hit the ground running,” said Backemeyer.

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