New Secondary Scheduling Resources Now Available

Two new resources are now available to support secondary school and district leaders in designing schedules that expand opportunities for all students and strengthen postsecondary readiness.

The Secondary Scheduling Guide completed in 2026, provides a framework for using scheduling decisions to support postsecondary readiness for all students. Organized around four key priorities, the guide helps school and district leaders intentionally align time, staffing, course offerings, and student supports to create meaningful learning experiences and opportunities for every student.

The Secondary Scheduling Tool is designed to help school leaders explore strategic scheduling decisions in a thoughtful, holistic way, connecting course offerings, staffing considerations, and potential bell schedule adjustments. It is intended to be used as a companion resource with the Secondary Scheduling Guide, as a practical way to visualize options, understand tradeoffs, and support conversations about how time and resources can best serve students and staff 

• Note: This tool is intended to be used as a resource by districts and schools. It does not establish new legal requirements or obligations and does not have the force of state law or regulation. Nothing in this document should be interpreted as superseding or replacing existing statutes, regulations, or official accountability or accreditation requirements.

You can access the new resources through the following pages on the NDE website:

• Scheduling Guides – Nebraska Department of Education
• Content Area Standards – Nebraska Department of Education

Contact Information: Marrisa Payzant (marissa.payzant@nebraska.gov) or Amanda Morris (amanda.morris@nebraska.gov)

Public, ESU

We will be moving the Superintendent and ESU Administrator Transparency Pay Act collection from the Legacy Portal into the New Portal (NDE Portal) by the end of August.

The Superintendent and ESU Administrator Transparency Pay Act collection will remain in the Legacy Portal, in Consolidated Data Collections (the CDC), through August 14th. 

The week of August 17th, the collection will close in Legacy Portal. It will reopen in the New Portal several days later.

• • The following New Portal Roles will automatically have access to the new application: District Admin-Public, District Admin-ESU, Proxy Admin-Public, Proxy Admin-ESU, Business Manager-Public and Business Manager-ESU.
  • To request access, once logged in to the New Portal, go to Profile>Requests and request the “Superintendent and ESU Admin Transparency-District” role. New Portal FAQ: How to Request Access

New Portal Resources: https://www.education.ne.gov/portal/

Superintendent and ESU Administrator Transparency Pay Act: Rev. Stat. Sections 79-2401 through 79-2405 require all Public District Superintendents and Educational Service Unit Administrators to file an approved contract and any amendments to the NDE by August 1st of each school year. The Superintendent and ESU Administrator Transparency Pay Act application should be updated throughout the current year if amendments are approved by the District School Board or ESU Board. NDE will publicly display all contracts on the Department’s website here: http://stpa.education.ne.gov/

Need Help?
School Finance Questions: Contact Michelle Cartwright (Michelle.Cartwright@Nebraska.gov)
Technical Questions or Portal Support: Contact the NDE Service Desk (NDE.ServiceDesk@Nebraska.gov)

Contact Information: NDE Service Desk (NDE.ServiceDesk@Nebraska.gov)

The purpose of this bulletin item is to provide information on how to request a conditional, temporary or alternative permit for teachers who have been hired to start in SUMMER/FALL 2026 and may not have all their necessary documentation prior to the first day of school with students.

Conditional Permits:

• • A Conditional Permit allows someone to sign a contract and work as a certified staff member with a location (school system) limitation and deficiencies that have not been met to be issued a regular teaching certificate such as a content test.

• • A Conditional Permit can also be requested for someone who has applied for a local substitute permit and has not completed the human relations training course and/or is waiting on fingerprint clearances from the Nebraska State Patrol.  

Alternative Permits:

• • An Alternative Permit is designed for an applicant to complete a program before applying for a regular certificate while being employed as a contracted teacher. Filling out this form verifies that applicant is hired as a teacher for your district. 

Temporary Certificates:

• • A Temporary Certificate is designed for an applicant that is currently a para in a Nebraska school system but is being hired as a teacher on a full-time basis and has taken and passed the appropriate Praxis Content Test. This form does not verify the paraprofessional status of the applicant. You will need to include a letter and/or contract to nde.tcertweb@nebraska.gov. 

Conditional Permits, Alternative Permits and Temporary Certificates can only be requested for employment in a Nebraska school system.  If an applicant has not been a continuous resident of Nebraska for the last five years, fingerprint cards will need to be sent to the certification office before any permits can be issued….Read More › – Conditional, Alternative and Temporary Certificate/Permit Request Form Summer/Fall 2026

Contact Information: NDE Educator Certification (nde.tcertweb@nebraska.gov or 402-471-0739)