Passage of LB 519 means more funding for afterschool and summer learning

The 2015 Legislative session was a big one for Nebraska’s children and families. Among the many bills that passed, LB 519 was signed into law — including for the first time in Nebraska, a definition of Expanded Learning Opportunity programs (which was based largely on the Nebraska State Board of Education’s 2013 Policy Statement on ELOs) and created a grant program to support these programs in the future.

Funding for these programs is set at 1% of the education funds generated by the State Lottery. This program will be implemented in the summer of 2016 and the Department of Education is currently determining a process to take advantage of this new funding opportunity.

While these critical wins for Expanded Learning in Nebraska were a small part of the bill, this is a huge win for afterschool and summer education. This is the first time in history funding from the state will be put toward Expanded Learning Opportunities. Currently, programs are funded by the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants and private funding. This new strand of funding will mean more sustainable and innovative programs in even more Nebraska communities.

Here’s Expanded Learning matters:

• Expanded Learning Opportunities in the summer dramatically reduce summer learning loss.
• Afterschool learning keeps kids safe.
• Afterschool and summer learning closes the achievement gap between poor kids and their more affluent peers.
• Because the school day is simply not enough.

Want to learn more?

Download the Big Book of ELOs in Nebraska.

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