Lexington, Neb. — Tim Royers, President of the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) says even though the 2026 legislative session did not result in the passage of a family and medical leave (FMLA) measure, the organization will continue to focus on FMLA for educators, retaining teachers amid staffing shortages and defending traditional public education from private school voucher expansions.

Royers says the teacher’s association will also focus on another key issue…

The NSEA on Thursday hosted one of its six “STRONG” summer leadership conferences across the state in Lexington.

Royers says the organization has always held summer leadership conferences, but in the past they’ve been held in one location: Kearney, Lincoln or Omaha.

He says this summer they’re holding multiple summer leadership conferences in different locations of the state in order to bring the training to the educators.

Royers says even though paid family and medical leave legislation wasn’t successful in the 2026 legislative session, the concept is still a goal…

Royers says the measure got stuck in committee, with feedback on it that it was an unfunded mandate and an unfair burden to place on schools, but he says the NSEA will go back to the drawing board and figure out how to get it done.

Royers says the 2026 legislative session was defined by the organization working against several bills that would have made it more difficult for the NSEA to do its job in serving kids. He says one of the fights had to do with Gov. Pillen trying to put school vouchers into the state budget after voters had repealed it, a fight that went on for so long that lawmakers had to suspend the rules to pass their budget, as the extended debate pushed them past their deadline…

Royers also has been communicating with NSEA members about the potential impact on the local school system from the closing of the Tyson plant in Lexington. Royers says in terms of support for those impacted, the NSEA maintains a Children’s Fund that is available on a case-by-case basis…

The identities of all recipients are strictly protected. The fund is deliberately managed without “red tape,” meaning public statements detailing specific distributions or naming impacted communities are rarely, if ever, released by the union’s president.

Royers says the full consequences from the displacement of families from the plant closure likely won’t show up until later this year when the school system finds out how many students return for the
fall term.