District details

Conway, a Democrat, is a systems administrator. She is a member of the Crete Public Schools Board of Education and is the daughter of public school teachers. She also was a public school student and has kids in public school, according to her campaign website.

Eberspacher, a Republican, is an agricultural coordinator. She is a former public school teacher with dual degrees in elementary and early childhood education, and formerly served as board president of the Educational Service Unit 6 Board, according to her campaign website.

Conway is endorsed, according to her campaign website, by the Nebraska State Education Association, Women Who Run, the Lincoln Education Association Political Action Committee, Helen Raikes, who is a former State Board of Education candidate for District 5, and Lana Daws, a primary candidate for District 5 who did not advance to the general election.

Eberspacher is endorsed by Kirk Penner, the current District 5 board member, multiple other members of the Board of Education, multiple state elected officials, several state senators, multiple county Republican parties and more. See the full list on her campaign website.

On the issues

Conway said she’s running because of a deep belief in public education and what strong schools can do for kids, families and communities. She said schools that are well-funded, well-supported and staffed by teachers who feel valued give young people a reason to stay in Nebraska. Eberspacher said she’s running because her prior experience has prepared her to serve Nebraska students, families, educators and taxpayers. She said she has closely followed the State Board of Education for years.

Eberspacher said she’s the most qualified candidate because of the years she spent teaching in Nebraska public schools and homeschooling her three kids. She said she has an understanding of the different educational paths families choose. Conway said she’s the most qualified because of her professional and personal experiences. She said her work on her local school board has let her work through problems that will come up on the state board, and her being a parent means she lives with the outcomes of educational policy. 

Conway said her top priority if elected would be early literacy, with others being closing the gap between policy and implementation and teacher recruitment and retention. Eberspacher said she would prioritize strengthening core academics, teacher recruitment and retention, educational choice and fiscally responsible oversight of taxpayer dollars.

Eberspacher said she would boost Nebraska’s teacher retention by supporting strong collaboration with Nebraska’s educator preparation programs, the review of school board rules and regulations and recent changes that streamline teacher certifications for people from other states. Conway said she would prioritize teacher pay and workload and treat teachers as professionals with support to carry out policies. She said she would advocate for funding, push back on unfunded mandates and support mentorship and induction programs. 

Conway said statewide efforts to boost proficiency scores are moving in the right direction, though proficiency scores in some districts are low, and rural and mid-poverty districts are often left behind. She said she would continue the state’s literacy framework, push to apply the same discipline to math instruction and advocate for targeted support for smaller communities. Eberspacher said the state is improving proficiency with a new strategic plan, the effectiveness of which should be monitored. She said additional strategies could include early screening and intervention, continued classroom-based assessments rather than standardized tests and targeted mentoring for high school students.

Eberspacher said she does not have enough firsthand information to fairly evaluate the current education commissioner’s performance. She said she would have more insight as a member of the state school board and evaluate him based on measurable results and implementation of board policies. Conway said the commissioner has led meaningful progress in early literacy, AP participation and school safety. She said achievement gaps remain, though, as well as teacher shortages and a gap between state policy and classroom reality for rural school districts.

Conway said the absence of an ideology or agenda to impose is what distinguishes her from her opponent. She said public education belongs to everyone, and students deserve leadership focused on outcomes. Eberspacher said her degrees in education and classroom teaching experience distinguish her from Conway. She said her being a member of a farming family allows her to understand the challenges of rural Nebraska.