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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen looks to tackle inconsistent school funding, high property taxes

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen looks to tackle inconsistent school funding, high property taxes

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen looks to tackle inconsistent school funding, high property taxes

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Wakefield Public Schools could be the poster child for Gov. Jim Pillen’s latest bid to ease property taxes.

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Matt Farup, Wakefield Community Schools superintendent, said his school district plans to cut staff and programs rather than pursue another sizable boost in property taxes next year, in anticipation of another reduction in state aid.

NIKOS FRAZIER, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

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Pillen

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High school students type last week during a technology class at Wakefield High School.

NIKOS FRAZIER, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

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Top Journal Star photos for December 2024

Volunteers from Raymond Community Church, including Monty Woodward (from left), Wayne Anderson, Linda Feiler, Krista and Chuck Kohles dish out chicken noodle soup into meal boxes on Wednesday at the Gathering Place Soup Kitchen. The Gathering Place has seen an 87.5% increase in free, nightly meals served since the pandemic started.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Nebraska players celebrate after a kill by Andi Jackson (bottom right) during the first set of a NCAA Final Four match on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth unrolls a round bale on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in Plymouth.

JUSTIN WAN,Journal Star

Lincoln Police Department graduates Kaitlyn Wiersma (from left), Joshua Woolfington, Chase Adams, Shawn Woods, Jillian Boysen, Sebastian Arrubla and Jeremiah McDowell listen during the first mixed LPD & LSO academy graduation on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at Lincoln Southeast Community College.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

Lincoln East's Hailey Standish (front) leaps from the starting blocks in the third heat of the Girls 500 Yard Freestyle during the Lincoln Southeast invite on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Lincoln Southeast High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Sign language interpreters Davida Schejbal (left) and Ashten Schuler pose for a portrait while making the sign "interpreter." The two are mother and daughter.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Dale Strehle, surplus and inventory manager for Lincoln Public Schools, stands with a stack of old chairs in the LPS Distribution Center on Friday. Strehle is retiring after 24 years in the role, helping the district auction off countless bookshelves, cabinets, desks and more.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Sinclair Hille principal David Quade (left) and senior associate Kjersten Tucker lead a tour of a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln music building on Dec. 16. With the new building's design, the Lincoln architecture firm has sought to push the boundaries of what musical education looks like in higher education.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

University of Nebraska - Lincoln sophomore geography major Maxwell Anderson, also known as Jersey Guy, has gone viral for wearing a different jersey to his class every day, Anderson says he has around 100 different jerseys. 

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Nebraska's Lexi Rodriguez (right) pancake-digs a ball during the fourth set of a third round NCAA tournament match against Dayton on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

Homeless man "Papa" George arranges his tent at a north Lincoln camp site, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Lincoln.

JUSTIN WAN,Journal Star

Kiptara Thomas (back center), Grace Taylor (front center), and Ayla Brosman (right) prepare in the dressing room ahead of a dress rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" on Thursday at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. 

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Nebraska's Brice Williams (left) dances with Juwan Gary after the Huskers' win against Indiana on Dec. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star file photo

Allie Christianson (top right), a senior community organizer with Civic Nebraska, speaks during an event Thursday at NeighborWorks Lincoln's office formally kicking off an initiative to ban source-of-income discrimination for renters.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Ariana Cunningham, playing Clara (right), practices dancing backstage during a rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on Thursday.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Wisconsin's CC Crawford (left) celebrates a kill by Sarah Franklin (13) during the first set of a third round NCAA tournament match against Texas A&M on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

Norris' Evan Greenfield (22) scores a layup as Wahoo's Jase Kaminski (13) goes up to defend the basket in the second half on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, at Wahoo High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Ruby Augustine blows out the candles on her birthday cake during her 105th birthday party on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at the Legacy Retirement Community.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

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JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

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KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Nebraska plays against Florida A&M in an NCAA tournament game on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

Fourth grade student Lulu Kulwick carries her review worksheet to meet with her teacher during computer science class. Each student was asked to analyze how fun, challenging and easy to understand each game was, and discuss what they thought was a good aspect to the game, and what could use some work.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Ben Heppner is illuminated by morning light as he waits for the start of the Santa Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, inside the Fleet Feet store.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Nebraska head coach Amy Williams (left) and Callin Hake (14) cheer for their team after a defensive stop during the third quarter of the game against Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

Members of the Lincoln Journal Star's 2024 Super State volleyball team compete in Dance Dance Revolution and air hockey while at a photo shoot on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, at Round 1 Arcade.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Lincoln North Star's J'Shawn Afun (10) and Mekhi Wayne-Browne (11) battle Lincoln Southeast's Jaydee Dongrin (21) for a rebound in the first half on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at Lincoln Southeast High School.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Miami's Flormarie Heredia Colon (left) and Ashley Carr celebrate a point against South Dakota State during an NCAA first-round match, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.

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Workers pull up the Capitol Christmas tree on Monday at the Capitol. The 22-foot Colorado spruce from Walton was selected by the Office of the Capitol Commission to be this year’s annual Christmas tree.

JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star

Jenni Watson helps to arrange chairs for New Covenant Community Church's first service in their repaired main auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at New Covenant Community Church.

New Covenant Community Church is nearing completion of six months of reconstruction project after a fire in May damages the church. While the building was not fully consumed by fire, there was significant water damage to the main auditorium and the first floor south wing.

KENNETH FERRIERA,Journal Star

Jack, the dog, lifts his leg on the Christmas tree that his owners David and Karen Petersen of Hickman chose as Max Novak helps them on Saturday at Prairie Woods tree farm in Hallam. 

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Iowa's Drew Stevens (18) kicks a game-winning field goal through the arms of Nebraska's Ty Robinson (9) and Nash Hutmacher (0) on Nov. 29, 2024, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Journal Star file photo

Lincoln Northwest senior Kynzee McFadden (top right) works with her teammates as they compete in an identifying game on the Anatomage Table on Tuesday at Lincoln Northwest High School.

An Anatomage Table is a digital platform that allows students to perform virtual experiments on a life-size touchscreen. The table is a tool that provides an interactive view of the human body, allowing students to virtually work with different body parts.

KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

Dahlia Brandon of Lincoln tickles her 15-month-old daughter, Gema, with a stuffed animal while shopping at HobbyTown on Saturday. The toy and game store nearly doubled its sales on Black Friday from last year.

KATY COWELL, Journal Star

Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (left) and South Dakota's Max Burchill (3) reach for the ball during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

KATY COWELL,Journal Star

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Jana Hughes

 

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Matt Farup, Wakefield Community Schools superintendent, said his school district plans to cut staff and programs rather than pursue another sizable boost in property taxes next year, in anticipation of another reduction in state aid.

High school students type last week during a technology class at Wakefield High School.

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Jana Hughes

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