In a message to families on Monday, Omaha Public Schools said it received an overpayment of $30.5 million in state aid for the current school year.
The Nebraska Department of Education told the district there was a mistake in the amount calculated for state aid, so the $30.5 amount would be subtracted from its allocation for 2026-27. The district estimated the total impact to next school year’s budget would be $61 million because of a lower amount in state aid along with the subtraction.
OPS reduced its levy for taxpayers by about 11 cents this school year and said it will likely need to raise it next school year to make up for the error.
“As fellow taxpayers, we can imagine the disappointment and frustration,” the statement said. “We feel it, too.”
The district received nearly $340 million in state aid this school year. For the 2024-25 school year, the district received nearly $316 million in state aid.
Officials said the error was within the “poverty allowance” for schools and districts participating in the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Lunch Program. OPS used to qualify district-wide, but that changed this school year. About 70 buildings qualified, while 21 did not.
This announcement comes as the School Financing Review Commission works to improve the formula that calculates state aid — the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, or TEEOSA.