OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A petition drive is underway to change the Nebraska constitution and eliminate the state Board of Education.
The proposal would shift oversight of the Education Department into the governor’s office and eliminate the elected board, but backers would have to gather roughly 125,000 signatures by next July to put the question on next November’s ballot.
The measure comes after Gov. Pete Ricketts clashed with the Education Department at times in the past year. But critics of the petition drive said it would concentrate too much power in the governor’s office.
Current state board president Maureen Nickels said the current system is already working well.