It operates under the authority of the Nebraska State Board of Education, a nonpartisan elected body, and is led by the Nebraska Commissioner of Education, who is appointed by the Board.
The NDE consists of two primary entities: The Nebraska Superintendent of Public Instruction was established as a partisan elected office in 1869 and was added as a constitutional office in the 1875 Constitution.
[3] In 1917, the legislature made the elections for Superintendent nonpartisan, and in 1920, voters ratified a constitutional amendment extending the term of office to four years.
[4] Voters ratified another constitutional amendment in 1952 that created the State Board of Education as a nonpartisan elected body responsible for appointing the Superintendent.
[5] The NDE administers a wide range of programs and services, including:[1] The NDE works with public, private, and nonpublic schools, as well as institutions of higher education, to improve educational opportunities across the state.