NTF Issue Paper: ops34.doc.  3-05.
NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM ISSUE PAPER:
PRISONERS IN THE OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS GULAG. 

BACKGROUND.  State aid largely depends on numbers of students enrolled.  OPS saw 2,916 students opt out for the 2004-05 school year.  The presumed state aid per student for the 2005-06 school year probably will total $2,495.28. Thus, OPS could lose $7,275,420 because of students leaving the district.  

LB 347.  This legislative bill, sponsored by State Sen. Pat Bourne of Omaha, would allow OPS, with its costly socioeconomic busing-integration plan, to restrict the number of students wanting to opt out, in order to preserve state aid.  OPS wants to preserve what it calls racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity.  This OPS social engineering scheme would prohibit option out transfers for white students who belonged to a higher economic status, thus trapping students.  OPS would give first priority for incoming option-in students to those who aid the socioeconomic integration of OPS.  Violence is so endemic at OPS sports events that a team of police officers must show their presence at many games.  No wonder students leave! 

OUR SOLUTION.  Admit it or not, many students flee the OPS system because of violence, an inferior curriculum, and poor instruction.  The OPS administration logic seems to state that all students are equal, but some (poor) are more equal than others in transferring in or out, a truly Animal Farm mentality.  Perhaps OPS will intensify teaching of multicultural diversity classes to desensitize students to their school environment.  Public school children and their parents deserve the opportunity to select the best educational program that fits their needs and desires.  If OPS resents losing so many productive students, it should retool its instructional system and curriculum and institute stern and fair discipline in its school buildings in order to build a reputation that would attract, not alienate students.  

TAKE ACTION.   Our state tax dollars support all NE public schools, not only your neighborhood school or local district.  Contact your state senator today to kill LB 347.  Email NTF if you need state senator contact information.  

Research, analysis, and documentation for this issue paper done by Doug Kagan.  This material copyrighted by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, with express prior permission granted for its use by Citizens for Local Control, Cherry County Taxpayers, Dawes County Taxpayers, and other groups in the Tax Freedom Network.  3-05.                C