Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

As an English teacher, the author of a recent commentary reflects on the loss of school choice in Nebraska. The commentary highlights the impact of the Nov. 5 vote where Nebraskans decided to repeal Referendum 435, a law supporting school choice. Despite support from 370,000 voters, 57% voted against it.

The author emphasizes that "Referendum 435 encompassed human dignity, religious liberty, parental rights, and the right to a quality education." The repeal affects more than 4,000 scholarship recipients and their families who relied on this option for better educational opportunities.

Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska (OSN), an organization committed to assisting families with scholarships, was involved in providing over $12 million in scholarships. These funds supported students below 213% of poverty level, rural students, children with learning disabilities, those bullied at school, foster children, and kids from military families.

Despite OSN's efforts and partnerships with over 170 schools across Nebraska, many applicants could not be reached due to limited resources. A local father expressed his dismay: “Why in the world would anyone want to take this away from my family? We just wanted a place our kids could thrive.”

The commentary criticizes state and national teachers unions for spending millions to oppose school choice by creating misleading narratives about its effects on public schools. The author argues that these narratives distracted from the true beneficiaries of education opportunity.

Although saddened by the outcome of the vote, there is encouragement found in the resilience expressed by parents. One parent remarked: “Mr. Ekeler, we may have lost the moment, but not the movement. We will not go away on this one – we will fight for our children.”

The author concludes by urging others to consider how they can support this movement for educational freedom and access.