NE LB1201

Creates a grant program administered by the State Department of Education for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years to provide high-quality, age-appropriate classroom libraries and monthly parent/caregiver engagement materials for elementary classrooms

Requires partnership with a Nebraska-based nonprofit organization with at least ten years of experience in book distribution; department must provide recommended book lists in at least English and Spanish

Prioritizes grants for school districts in the lowest performance classification, districts where 40% or more of students are poverty students, or districts with higher-than-average rates of K-5 reading deficiencies

Appropriates up to $1 million per fiscal year from the Education Future Fund for 2026-27 and 2027-28, with administrative expenses capped at 10% of the appropriation

Requires participating classrooms to track book circulation and inventory data, and mandates the department submit an evaluation report to the Legislature by December 1, 2028