Bill
LB 352
LB 352 establishes a public, de-identified discipline data database and annual reports on discipline and achievement, with district coordinators and enforcement for noncompliance.
LB 352 — Summary
Overview
- Bill Number: LB 352
- Title: Change provisions relating to reports on student achievement and discipline required under the Quality Education Accountability Act
- Introduced: January 16, 2025
- Status: Referred to the Education Committee
- Principal Introducer: Senator Beau Ballard (with other cosponsors)
- Purpose: Update and expand the state’s data collection and public reporting on student discipline, and align with the Quality Education Accountability Act, by creating a public, de-identified discipline data database and annual analytic reporting.
What the bill would do
1) Public, de-identified discipline data database
- The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) would collect discipline data from school districts and maintain a public, de-identified database.
- Data elements would include: offense type, discipline imposed (e.g., in-school suspension, short-term/long-term suspensions, expulsions, assignment to alternative programs), use of restraints or seclusion, involvement of school resource officers or law enforcement, and related characteristics.
- The database would be searchable by district, type of discipline, restraint type, seclusion type, and other factors.
- Districts would track student discipline by demographic characteristics (e.g., race, poverty status, mobility, attendance, disability status, English proficiency) and by school characteristics.
2) Annual disciplinary and achievement reporting
- The Department would annually analyze and report on student achievement and discipline results, aggregated by district and school, but not identifying individual students.
- The annual report would be available to the Governor, the Legislature, and to the public via the NDE website.
- The analysis would compare achievement and discipline across demographic groups (as described in subsection (1)) and would include indicators of progress toward state academic goals and indicators of progress toward reducing discipline for students with disabilities and highly mobile students.
- The annual report would disaggregate data by poverty status, English language learners, and other listed characteristics where available, while maintaining privacy.
3) District accountability and data coordination
- Each district would designate at least one discipline data coordinator responsible for gathering and reporting required data.
- Contact information for each district’s discipline data coordinator would be published on the district’s website.
4) Compliance and enforcement
- The Commissioner of Education may take action if a district intentionally and materially fails to comply with the reporting requirements, including notifying the district and, after a reasonable period, labeling noncompliance as a violation of accreditation rules and applying remedial actions.
Key provisions and changes
- Replaces/updates obsolete references related to the earlier statewide discipline-tracking requirements under LB 154.
- Establishes a public, de-identified, searchable discipline database with specific data points.
- Requires annual public reporting and demographic breakdowns in both discipline and achievement.
- Creates district-level data coordination requirements and public-facing contact information.
- Provides an enforcement mechanism tied to accreditation standards.
Who is affected
- Nebraska Department of Education (data collection, maintenance, reporting)
- Public school districts (data submission, district discipline coordinators, online public postings)
- Students and families (through public, aggregated data disclosures; data remains de-identified)
- State policymakers and the public (enhanced transparency and accountability through annual reports)
Timeline and procedural notes
- The bill references implementation and reporting duties aligned with the Quality Education Accountability Act.
- It would repeal the existing version of Section 79-760.05 and reissue revised provisions.
- As introduced, it would proceed through the standard committee process (Education) with potential amendments prior to floor consideration.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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