Support our Schools Nebraska says voters must protect public schools come Election Day

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - The month of October is coming to a close and Election Day is approaching. Support Our Schools Nebraska wants voters to repeal ballot initiative 435 on Election Day.

According to Support Our Schools Nebraska, 90% of all students in Nebraska are served through public schools and if initiative 435 is not repealed, it may cause needed programs and teachers to be cut.

SOSN said the initiative would cost taxpayers a minimum of $100 million over the next 10 years.

"The bill doesn't allow any caps on that funding so now what happens the appropriation committee and subsequent years they can say 10 million wasn't enough," said Danielle Helzer a volunteer of SOSN. "Let's do $60 million and then that's $60 million gone from the general fund and the general fund goes to places like public schools."

She also shared, that three states have participated in a 'voucher scheme' - Iowa, Florida, and Arizona.

"Arizona - the state's budget-busting voucher program costs $332 million this year and is expected to cost taxpayers $429 million next year," said Helzer.

Tim Royers president of the Nebraska State Education Association said he thinks this a fundamentally attack on the integrity of public education.

"The number one consistent thing we heard from these other states is don't let this get a foot in the door," said Royers. "So again we view this an existential threat to our capacity to fund our schools in the future that's why we're committing the resources we are to this."

KNOP News 2 reached out to a private school leader and they said they're in supportive of initiative 435 because students should the choice to choose their preferred education.