Nebraska Earns Federal Waiver for Education Flexibility

The U.S. Department of Education approved Nebraska's participation in the Returning Education to the States Waiver and Ed-Flex authority.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Administration

Nebraska Earns Federal Waiver for Education Flexibility

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The U.S. Department of Education approved Nebraska's participation in the Returning Education to the States Waiver, making it the tenth state to receive one. The waiver affects about $3 million of the state's federal funding and comes alongside Ed-Flex authority.

Why it matters

Ed-Flex authority lets Nebraska waive some federal requirements without seeking permission, and the waiver reduces redundant reporting requirements. Nebraska joins 27 other states already participating in Ed-Flex.

The approval covers about $3 million in federal funding, and Nebraska is the tenth state to receive a Returning Education to the States Waiver. Twenty-seven other states already participate in Ed-Flex, while the extraction does not detail how redirected funds will be allocated.

The players

Department of Education

The U.S. federal agency responsible for administering national education policy and federal education funding programs, which approved Nebraska's waiver and Ed-Flex participation.

Linda McMahon

The U.S. Secretary of Education who has emphasized returning education decision-making to the states and criticized the federal bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.

Jim Pillen

The Governor of Nebraska who toured a Waverly school with Education Secretary McMahon earlier in 2026.

The details

The waiver directs additional resources toward reading and math, English language acquisition, attendance, and educator support, and removes silos on federal funds going to states. The approval was announced in a Department of Education press release dated November 10, 2026.

Earlier in 2026, Education Secretary McMahon toured a Waverly school with Gov. Pillen.
In April 2026, McMahon discussed regulatory strings attached to grants in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald.
On November 10, 2026, the Department of Education issued a press release approving Nebraska's waiver.

Roadmap

Nebraska's approval extends the Ed-Flex framework, which 27 other states already use to waive certain federal requirements without seeking permission. The move reflects the Department of Education's emphasis under President Donald Trump on empowering states to make their own education decisions.

Nebraska's districts and educators may see fewer redundant reporting requirements and additional resources directed toward reading, math, English language acquisition, attendance, and educator support. The extraction does not specify how or when these changes will reach individual schools.

The takeaway

Federal waivers like Nebraska's show how states can tailor education spending and reporting to local needs, but the practical benefits depend on how the freed-up resources are ultimately used in classrooms.