A new coalition that consists of agriculture and educational organizations was announced Tuesday.
It's called Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education, and as a member of the Greater Nebraska Schools Association, Norfolk Public Schools is proud to be a part of it, said Dr. Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of schools.
The coalition — which represents 98 percent of the school districts in Nebraska and more than 60,000 landowners — shared its founding principles and membership Tuesday at a press conference at the State Capitol in Lincoln.
The principles include that adequate and sustainable funding of high quality K-12 education is imperative for the future of Nebraska, and that tax reform, which reduces the over-reliance on local property taxes, is necessary to ensure the state's tax system is fair to all Nebraska taxpayers.
Founding coalition members include: Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Fair, Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska State Education Association, Reform for Nebraska's Future, Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, Nebraska Farmers Union, Women Involved in Farm Economics, Nebraska Soybean Association, Gage County Property Tax Group, Nebraska Pork Producers, Nebraska Wheat Growers, Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska, Schools Taking Action for Nebraska Children's Education, and the Greater Nebraska Schools Association.
"I am very excited to see the agriculture and educational communities unite," Thompson said.. "Our state's economy and future are dependent upon strong agriculture and strong public schools. It is time that we worked together to ensure both remain strong and vibrant, by developing a tax system that is fair and equitable to all Nebraskans and provides adequate funding for our public school system, which is one of the best in the nation."
