- CITY COUNCIL --— ci
South Lincoln residents voice
concern about school’s location
ByCaraPesek
Staff writer
Opposition to an ordinance that
would allow private schools to be
built on agriculturally zoned land
puzzled City Council members
Monday.
About 10 residents of a south
Lincoln neighborhood gathered to
express their opposition to a private
school which may soon open at
11401 S. 70th St
The residents said the seven-acre
plot of land where Jacqueline
Berniklau, administrator of
Berniklau Education Solutions
Team, may move her school is not
large enough for such a structure.
And they fear the small amount
of space would make construction of
a potentially unsafe lagoon necessary
to hold waste from the school.
Berniklau said she is undecided
whether she will move her school,
where 28 students are currently
enrolled, to the location.
Sh^ said the lease on the land
where the school is currently located
will expire in a year and a half. If she
cannot renew her lease, she said she
^ These are kids who need special
attention or extra care and who need
to learn some behavior activities
they may not have had the
opportunity to learn before
Jacqueline Berniklau
administatoTof Berniklau Education Solutions Team
would consider moving the school to
the new location.
Councilwoman Cindy Johnson
said she was unsure why the residents
were opposed to a new school.
“Is it the nature of the school that
residents oppose?” she asked.
Bemiklau said the school is clas
sified as a level 3 special education
facility and would be attended prima
rily by students in danger of “falling
through the cracks” at traditional
schools.
“These are kids who need special
attention or extra care and who need
to learn some behavior activities they
may not have had the opportunity to
learn before,” Bemiklau said.
But neighborhood residents
insisted that it wasn’t the nature of the
school they were opposed to but the
lack of ample space or adequate facil
ities.
They said that existing structures
and a pond on the land leave only
about four acres of land for the
school. Furthermore, they said an
existing building that may house the
school does not meet school safety
codes.
The city council members will
vote whether to permit private
schools to be constructed on agricul
turally zoned land at their April 17
meeting.
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- LEGISLATURE -
%
Johanns vetoes s
teacher aid bill
By Veronica Daehn
Staff writer
Yet another inkling of hope among
those in the education field was dashed
Monday when Gov. Mike Johanns
issued the beginning of his second
round of vetoes. ,
Johapns signed LB1399, a bill that
will cr^te a task force to study teacher
pay in Nebraska.
But he vetoed the part of the bill
that would have forgiven loans taken
out by Nebraska teachers while in col
lege.
Duane Obermier, president of the
Nebraska State Education Association,
said he was disappointed.
“It’s important we keep students
interested in becoming teachers,”
Obermier said. “This was one way to
do it.”
The governor’s veto of the loan for
giveness program was part of a second
round veto package that totaled $23.8
million over four years.
On March 30, Johanns announced
$18.7 million in the first round of
vetoes for the next four years.
Johanns said Monday that he had to
look beyond this year’s budget into the
future.
“My message is as straightforward
today as it was last time,” he said. “The
state should not mortgage next year’s
budget by passing a laundry list of
spending items for today.”
Johanns signed 12 bills into law
Monday, vetoed nine and line-item
vetoed four.
Among those Johanns signed were
two bills dealing with agricultural
opportunities in the state.
LB936, the Rural Economic
Opportunities Act, will provide income
tax credits for businesses that create
jobs with higher than average wages
for their workers.
LB 1348, the Agricultural and
Rural Opportunities Act, will give
more money to the Department of
Economic Development’s microenter
prise program.
i-7 *-1— — -
Attempted break-in leads
to man’s arrest
A man trying to break into a
convenience store Monday morn
ing ran from police.
At about 2:25 a.m., an alarm
sounded at Kabredlo’s, 1425 S.
17th St., and when police respond
ed, they saw a man shaking the
doors trying to get in, Lincoln
Police Capt. Terrence Sherrill said.
The man took off when he saw
the police, and pursuit on foot
ended at the man’s home at 1418 S.
17th St., Sherrill said.
Police eventually caught
Kashaun McMorris, 21. They then
ran his name through the computer
and found he had seven outstand
ing warrants fbrhis arrest, Sherrill
said.
No damage was reported at the
store, but McMorris was arrested
on the warrants, Sherrill said.
Sherrill did not know what the
warrants were for.
Computer equipment stolen
Sometime between Saturday
and Sunday, someone broke into a
Lincoln business and stole a laptop
and two other computer items.
The suspect forced open a door
and entered the office at Lincoln
Plating, 600 W. E St., and took the
items worth $4,000, Sherrill said.
Police have no suspects.
Compiled by staff writer
Michelle Starr
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A grant also will be given to the
Department of Agriculture to promote
the formation of small businesses in
rural Nebraska.
“I was very happy to sign those,”
Johanns said. “These pieces of legisla
tion all folded together to give us a
dynamic growth opportunity.”
But Johanns did not forget educa
tion altogether.
He signed a bill into law that will
increase the cap on the amount of state
general funds available for reimburse
ment to special education programs.
The bill should show the state’s
support of education, Johanns said,
despite the fact that teachers came
away with no money this session.
“You won’t find an administration
that’s given more money to K-12 edu
cation,” he said.
Johanns signed another bill,
LB812, that establishes the Quality
Education Act.
The bill will impose statewide stan
dards in the education system and pro
vide a way to test those standards.
“We fund education because we
want educated kids,” Johanns said.
“That’s a no-brainer, in my opinion.”
Obermier said he assumed the gov
ernor vetoed the loan forgiveness pro
gram for financial reasons.
But he said all is not lost.
The NSEA will continue to push
for increased teacher salaries,
Obermier said.
“I would prefer to get going on it
now,” he said. “But the decision’s been
made. It’s a fact. It’s happened. So we
go on.”
Johanns said he expected a pack
age to increase teacher pay would be
presented next session.
And it didn’t make sense to pay for
a new program now that would only be
part of a larger package next year, he
said.
“There are some fine programs that
didn’t make it across the finish line,”
Johanns said. “But in terms of our
financial stability, we’ve gone as far as
we should go this legislative session.”