Residents urge review after city adds 'accredited' diploma requirement for hires

Scott Preston, a Fremont resident, opened the public comment period by arguing that students educated at home outperform their peers and criticized what he called an unnecessary new hiring hurdle.

"The group I've described is homeschoolers...and last week the city of Fremont made it more difficult for homeschoolers to be employed by the city," Preston said, urging the city to eliminate the additional requirement for GEDs or accredited diplomas.

At a later public comment, Seth Coates described his son's experience applying for a firefighter position. Coates said his son met the posted requirements, supplied a lawful Rule 13 home-education diploma and accredited post-secondary transcripts, but was later told the application was withdrawn because the high school diploma was not 'accredited.'

"The requirement was not disclosed at any time in the job posting or in any direct communication from the city," Coates said, and asked the council to formally examine Fremont's employment policies and consider placing a review on a future agenda. City staff did not provide a policy document during the public comment period.

Why it matters: Council members did not decide policy changes at the meeting. Multiple residents noted that Nebraska permits Rule 13 home-education diplomas and that public universities accept them, and asked the council to reconcile hiring practice with state law and existing staff credentials. The council did not schedule a follow-up item during the meeting; Coates specifically requested a council member sponsor a formal review.