Nebraska Department of Education Homepage

Federal Programs

ESSA Tydings Waiver Public Comment

NDE SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT UNDER SECTION 8401 OF THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 (ESEA)

As Nebraska schools continue to provide additional support to students, the Nebraska Department of Education is requesting waivers that will afford additional fiscal flexibility for certain funds received under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). These flexibilities would allow districts to carryover and spend 2023-2024 federal funds up until September 30, 2026.
The NDE’s draft waiver can be reviewed here (link).  Public comment on the ESSA waiver is requested from September 3, 2025 through September 19, 2025. Comments may be submitted by email nde.essa@nebraska.gov.

RECENT NEWS & UPDATES FROM THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS OFFICE

Find the latest time sensitive information here

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Federal Programs Team Office Hours via Zoom!
10:00 – 11:00 AM (CST) unless otherwise noted
Click the link below to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/4024712452 Meeting ID:  402 471 2452
Or Telephone: US: +1 346 248 7799  Webinar ID: 402 471 2452#

  • August 25th (2:00 p.m. CT) – ESSA Grant Support
  • August 28th – ESSA Grant Support
  • September 3rd – Final Reimbursement Request
  • September 10th (2:00 p.m. CT) – Final Reimbursement Request
  • September 17th – ESSA Grant Support
  • September 18th (2:00 p.m. CT) – ESSA Grant Support
  • October 1st – Title I Overview
  • November 5th – ESSA Consolidating Monitoring
  • December 3rd – ESSA Consolidating Monitoring
  • March 4th – Nonpublic Consultations
Annual Federal Program Reminder Newsletter

Nebraska’s 2024 National ESEA Distinguished Schools Recipients
Two Nebraska schools are among 65 across the U.S. that have been named 2024 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the extraordinary success of their students.
NDE News Release

Kearney Public Schools - Central Elementary

Kearney Public Schoo - Central Elementary National ESEA Distinguished Schools Recipients

South Sioux City - Harney Elementary

South Sioux City - Harney Elementary National ESEA Distinguished Schools Recipients

Welcome to the Nebraska Department of Education’s Federal Programs web page.

Below are the resources and services our division provides to Schools, Administrators, Teachers, and the Public from all over Nebraska.

Federal Programs

Federal Programs

Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. These federal programs assist in completing the educational goals of our students.

Annual Federal Program Reminder Newsletter
Federal Program Timeline
NE Consolidated State Plan Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA State Report Card PDF
ESSA Foster Care Information
US Dept. of ED Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Website

Grants Management (GMS) and Finance

The GMS is a web-based system used by the Department for processing various grants and plans. The system supports application submissions, amendments, and approval as well as the issuance of grant award notifications. The system also supports the processing of payments against grant awards through reimbursement requests.
Its purposes are to provide:

  1. districts an easy to use mechanism with a common look and feel originating from various sources
  2. quick response time between the Department and districts
  3. real time financial representation.

A majority of grants continue to be placed on the GMS which has become the principal method for processing Department issued grants.

NEW GMS Canvas Hub
Newly developed Canvas modules to support K-12 Public District and Non-Public School superintendents, business managers, and others who work in GMS. The modules cover various GMS topics and helpful tips to navigate through GMS in any order and at your own pace. The Grant Management System (GMS) Canvas Hub can be found on the NDE Canvas site.

NDE State and Federal Grant Management Guidance PDF
GMS Main Page

2022-2023 ESSA Consolidated Application Support Sessions

2021-2022 ESSA Consolidated Application PDF
2021-2022 GMS for Federal Programs PDF
2021-2022 Time and Efforts PDF
ESSA Request Approval for Non-Construction Capital Assets
AQuESTT Tenets ESSA Goals PDF
Federal Programs Equitable Services for Nonpublic Schools PDF
Updated September 9, 2025 10:18am