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Commissioner Maher outlines shutdown risks, honors Blue Ribbon-eligible schools and previews P–20 alignment work
Summary
Commissioner Maher told the State Board of Education the department expects limited direct employment effects from a possible federal shutdown but some federal-program response slowdowns; he said the department will honor Blue Ribbon-eligible schools and previewed the P–20 alignment priorities and the school financing review commission timeline.
Commissioner Maher delivered the department report at the Oct. 3 State Board of Education meeting in Fremont, addressing potential federal shutdown effects, plans to honor Blue Ribbon‑eligible schools, recent advisory‑council topics and the state's P–20 alignment and school financing work.
Maher said roughly 70% of NDE staff are federally funded and that a federal shutdown could slow responsiveness from U.S. departments that manage discretionary programs (education, labor, agriculture), though the department does not anticipate immediate employment impacts for NDE employees. "We assured our staff that we do not anticipate any direct impact on the employment of Nebraska Department of Education employees, but we do anticipate that we can expect slower-than-normal responses," Maher said.
On the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, Maher said the U.S. Department of Education has recently discontinued the program and that Nebraska plans to honor schools already notified of eligibility; the department said it will share more details next week.
Maher also described a P–20 (preschool through age 20) alignment group that includes higher-education leaders and labor department representation. He listed three priorities for the initiative: attainment (meeting the state's 70% postsecondary credential goal), workforce readiness, and efficiency and accountability via shared data and coordinated services. He noted the school financing review commission's report is due in early December and that NDE will be responsible for generating the required report after further meetings, including a scheduled Oct. 31 session.
Maher closed by thanking local hosts (Superintendent Brad Dahl and the Fremont team) for the meeting venue and a tour of a new CTE facility. The commissioner said follow-up work on the strategic plan and school financing review will continue over the fall and into December.
