LB 960

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                          LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
                      ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
                              SECOND SESSION
                  LEGISLATIVE BILL 960
   Introduced by McKinney, 11.
   Read first time January 12, 2026
   Committee: Education
1   A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to schools; to provide for and require student
2school board members as prescribed; to state an intent; to define
3terms; to provide for the selection and terms of student school
4board members; to provide powers and duties for student school board
5members; and to provide duties for school boards.
6   Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1Section 1.        It is the intent of the Legislature to promote civic
2   engagement leadership development, and student voice by providing for
3   student members on school boards.
4Sec. 2.       For purposes of sections 1 to 5 of this act:
5(1) High school means a school operated by a school district to
6   educate students in at least grades ten through twelve and from which
7   such students may graduate;
8(2) School board has the same meaning as in section 79-101;
9(3) School district has the same meaning as in section 79-101; and
10(4) Student school board member means a high school student duly
11   selected pursuant to section 3 of this act to serve as a nonvoting member
12   of a school board in an advisory capacity.
13Sec. 3.       (1) Each school board shall include student school board
14    members on the school board in a number equal to the number of elected
15    school board members on such school board.
16(2) Student school board members shall be selected from high schools
17   in the school district as follows:
18(a) If the school district has only one high school, all student
19    school board members shall be selected from the high school;
20(b) If the number of high schools operated by the school district
21    equals the number of elected school board members, one student from each
22    high school shall be selected as a student school board member; and
23(c) For all other school districts, the school board shall adopt
24   procedures      for    determining      which       high    schools   will    have   a   student
25    selected as a school board member for each school year such that the same
26    number of student school board members are selected from each high school
27    over a designated period of years.
28(3)    Each     school    board   shall       adopt   procedures   to    select    student
29    school      board    members    from    the    high     schools   determined      pursuant   to
30   subsection (2) of this section. The selection procedures may include, but
31   are   not     limited     to,    student      elections,       principal      nominations,   or
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1   applications and interviews. Any student selected to serve as a student
2   school board member shall, at the beginning of the student's term as a
3   student school board member, be enrolled in good standing in grade ten,
4   eleven, or twelve at the high school from which the student was selected.
5(4) Each student school board member shall serve a one-year term.
6    Each   school    board   shall   determine   if,   and   in   what     circumstances,    a
7   student may serve more than one term as a student school board member and
8    shall determine the beginning date of the term for the initial student
9    school board members except that such date shall be no later than the
10    first day of the 2027-28 school year.
11Sec. 4.   (1) Each student school board member shall:
12(a) Attend all public meetings of the school board;
13(b) Receive meeting materials and agendas for all public meetings of
14   the school board;
15(c) Be seated with the school board at all public meetings of the
16   school board and be included in all public discussions of the school
17   board;
18(d) Serve as a liaison between the student body and the school
19   board; and
20(e) Be permitted to introduce and advocate for agenda items except
21   that a school board may, as part of the school board's policies and
22   procedures, require sponsorship from an elected school board member for
23   the introduction of an agenda item.
24(2) No student school board member shall:
25(a) Vote on matters before the school board;
26(b) Attend or participate in closed or executive sessions of the
27    school board; or
28(c) Access confidential student, personnel, or legal information.
29Sec. 5.   On or before January 1, 2027, each school board shall adopt
30    policies and procedures for student school board members to serve on the
31   school   board   in   accordance   with   sections   1   to   5   of    this   act.   Such
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1    policies   and   procedures   may   also   include,   but   are   not   limited   to,
2   provisions for training, transportation, recognition, and evaluation of
3   student board members.
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