Omaha Public Schools

Omaha Public Schools (OPS) is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska, United States. This public school district serves a diverse community of about 52,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha. Its district offices are located in the former Tech High at 30th and Cuming Streets.

Omaha Public Schools
Location
Omaha, Nebraska
United States
District information
Established1854
SuperintendentCheryl Logan
Students and staff
Studentsabout 52,000
Staffabout 7,000
Other information
Websitewww.district.ops.org

Key personnel
  • Superintendent: Dr. Cheryl Logan
  • OPS Board Member President: Marque A. Snow
  • OPS Board Member Vice President: Lacey Merica
  • Subdistrict Board Member #1: Ricky Smith
  • Subdistrict Board Member #2: Marque A. Snow
  • Subdistrict Board Member #3: Ben Perlman
  • Subdistrict Board Member #4: Shavonna Holman
  • Subdistrict Board Member #5: Lou Ann Goding
  • Subdistrict Board Member #6: Matt Scanlan
  • Subdistrict Board Member #7: Amanda Ryan
  • Subdistrict Board Member #8: Lacey Merica
  • Subdistrict Board Member #9: Tracy Casady

Recent controversy

One City, One School District

On June 13, 2005, the Omaha Public Schools Board and Superintendent John Mackiel announced their intention to annex 25 schools within Omaha city limits to OPS.[1] They are currently part of the Elkhorn Public Schools, Millard Public Schools and Ralston Public Schools districts. This announcement, based on three Nebraska statutes[2][3][4] enacted in 1891 and 1947, is known as the "One City, One School District" plan.

This issue is highly controversial in Omaha.[5][6] Supporters of the plan claim that a single school district is necessary to promote a cohesive Omaha community, ensure academic equity in all Omaha schools and prevent OPS from becoming locked into a declining property tax base. Opponents contend that Omaha-area residents should be able to choose from a number of school districts, and that the schools would become less efficient in one large school district. Discussions among the school districts have been unproductive; the issue figured prominently in the 2006 session of the Nebraska state legislature.[7]

Split the District

The Nebraska legislature passed a bill (LB 1024)[8] on April 13, 2006, that addresses the "One City, One School District" issues. The governor of Nebraska signed it later that day.[9] It requires each metropolitan class city to have a "learning community" that consists of all of the school districts in the county where the city is located and any county that shares a border with the city.[10] The learning community will be composed of voting representatives from each school district and will also include the superintendents of the districts as non-voting members. A learning community will be charged with helping to distribute property tax revenue more evenly throughout the school districts in its area.

In general, a learning community leaves the boundaries of school districts untouched. However, LB 1024 also calls for OPS to be broken into three separate school districts. The exact boundaries for three new Omaha school districts are to be chosen by the Omaha learning community. Their choices are limited by requirements of LB 1024 that each new district consist of contiguous high school attendance areas and include either two or three of the seven existing high schools. That allows about 20 ways to group the seven schools, depending on which adjacent high school attendance areas are grouped with the geographically most central area.

The three-district plan for OPS was proposed in amendment AM3142, introduced on the day the legislature first took up LB 1024. The suburban school districts reluctantly supported the three-district plan, seeing it as the most favorable to them of the bills proposed. The OPS leadership vehemently opposed the plan. AM3142 was approved on the day it was introduced by a counted vote of 33 to 6 with 10 senators not voting.[11] Five days later a motion to reconsider AM3142 failed in a roll-call vote of 9 to 31 with 9 senators not voting.[12] The roll call showed legislators from Omaha split six in favor of the three-district plan (Sens. Brashear, Brown, Chambers, Jensen, Pahls and Redfield) and five opposed (Sens. Bourne, Friend, Howard, Kruse and Synowiecki).

It is suspected that OPS may file a suit challenging the new law. On May 16, 2006, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a suit against the governor and other Nebraska state officials charging that LB 1024, originally proposed by state senator Ernie Chambers, "intentionally furthers racial segregation." The NAACP lawsuit argues that because Omaha has racially segregated residential patterns, subdivided school districts will also be racially segregated,[13] contrary to United States law.

According to April 2006, information published by Associated Press, the current Omaha public school district has approximately 45,000 students classified as 46 percent white, 31 percent black, 20 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian or American Indian.[14] News reports indicate that division of the city of Omaha into three new school districts, as ordered in April, 2006, by the Nebraska legislature and including current Elkhorn, Millard and Ralston public schools, is often expected to result in black students concentrated in a North Omaha district, white students in West Omaha district, and non-English speaking students in a South Omaha district.[15] However, the law does not mandate such a result.[16] Within its requirements, new districts may be drawn in several different ways.

Schools
Further information: List of public schools in Omaha, Nebraska

High schools
School Mascot Location Grades Enrollment Opened
Benson Magnet High School Bunnies 5120 Maple Street 9-12 1,466 (2016-17) 1904
Bryan High School Bears 4700 Giles Road 9-12 1,878 (2016-17) 1971
Burke High School Bulldogs 12200 Burke Boulevard 9-12 2,047 (2016-17) 1965
Central High School Eagles 124 North 20th Street 9-12 2,612 (2016-17) 1859
Omaha North Magnet High School Vikings 4410 North 36th Street 9-12 1,811 (2016-17) 1924
Omaha Northwest Magnet High School Huskies 8204 Crown Point Avenue 9-12 1,821 (2016-17) 1971
Omaha South Magnet High School Packers 4519 South 24th Street 9-12 2,617 (2016-17) 1887

Middle schools
School Mascot Location Grades Enrollment Opened
Alfonza W. Davis Middle School Aviators 8050 North 129th Avenue 6-8 679 (2016-17) 2013
Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School Bobcats 14101 Larimore Avenue 5-8 1,148 (2016-17) 2004
Beveridge Magnet Middle School Bulldogs 1616 South 120th Street 7-8 616 (2016-17) 1963
Bryan Middle School Bears 8210 South 42nd Street 7-8 829 (2016-17) 1964
King Science and Technology Magnet Middle School Wildcats 3720 Florence Boulevard 5-8 614 (2016-17) 1973
Lewis & Clark Middle School Trailblazers 6901 Burt Street 6-8 829 (2016-17) 1960
McMillan Magnet Middle School Monarchs 3802 Redick Avenue 6-8 789 (2016-17) 1958
Monroe Middle School Mustangs 5105 Bedford Avenue 6-8 823 (2016-17) 1956
Morton Magnet Middle School Panthers 4606 Terrace Drive 6-8 759 (2016-17) 1965
Nathan Hale Magnet Middle School Patriots 6143 Whitmore Street 6-8 594 (2016-17) 1965
Norris Middle School Redbirds 2235 South 46th Street 6-8 1,123 (2016-17)
R. M. Marrs Magnet Middle School Falcons 5619 South 19th Street 5-8 1,356 (2016-17) 1962

Elementary schools
School Mascot Location Grades Enrollment Opened
Adams Elementary School Archers 3420 North 78th Street K-5 303 (2016-17) 1925
Ashland Park-Robbins Elementary School Timberwolves 5050 South 51st Street PK-6 801 (2016-17) 1994
Bancroft Elementary School Broncos 2724 Riverview Boulevard PK-6 728 (2016-17)
Beals Elementary School Bobcats 1720 South 48th Street PK-6 391 (2016-17) 1904
Belle Ryan Elementary School Bulldogs 5616 L Street PK-6 291 (2016-17)
Belvedere Elementary School Bobcats 3775 Curtis Avenue PK-5 471 (2016-17) 1924
Benson West Elementary School Bulldogs 6652 Maple Street K-5 575 (2016-17) 1910
Boyd Elementary School Beavers 8314 Boyd Street PK-5 456 (2016-17) 1961
Castelar Elementary School Cardinals 2316 South 18th Street PK-5 637 (2016-17) 1886
Catlin Magnet Center 12736 Marinda Street PK-6 203 (2016-17) 1966
Central Park Elementary School Cougars 4904 North 42nd Street PK-5 373 (2016-17) 1888
Chandler View Elementary School Cougars 7800 South 25th Street PK-6 696 (2016-17) 1969
Columbian Elementary School Cobras 330 South 127th Street K-6 303 (2016-17) 1892
Conestoga Magnet Elementary School Pioneers 2115 Burdette Street PK-6 373 (2016-17) 1965
Crestridge Magnet Center 818 Crestridge Road PK-6 435 (2016-17) 1961
Dodge Elementary School Wildcats 3520 Maplewood Boulevard PK-5 388 (2016-17) 1964
Druid Hill Elementary School Dragons 4020 North 30th Street PK-5 292 (2016-17) 1917
Dundee Elementary School Tigers 310 North 51st Street K-6 551 (2016-17) c. 1894
Edison Elementary School Eagles 2302 North 97th Street PK-6 462 (2016-17) 1966
Field Club Elementary School Falcons 3512 Walnut Street PK-5 669 (2016-17) 1916
Florence Elementary School Foxes 4301 North 30th Street K-5 259 (2016-17) 1889
Fontenelle Elementary School Falcons 3905 North 52nd Street PK-5 594 (2016-17)
Franklin Elementary School 3506 Franklin Street PK-6 253 (2016-17)
Fullerton Magnet Center Falcons 4711 North 138th Street PK-4 526 (2016-17)
Gateway Elementary School Eagles 5610 South 42nd Street PK-6 833 (2016-17) 2013
Gilder Elementary School 3705 Chandler Road K-6 399 (2016-17) 1964
Gomez Heritage Elementary School Timberwolves 5101 South 17th Street PK-4 849 (2016-17) 2004
Harrison Elementary School Tigers 5304 Hamilton Street K-6 376 (2016-17) 1930
Hartman Elementary School Hawks 5530 North 66th Street PK-5 483 (2016-17) 1964
Highland Elementary School Roadrunners 2625 Jefferson Street PK-6 479 (2016-17)
Indian Hill Elementary School 3121 U Street K-6 637 (2016-17) 1890
Jackson Elementary School Jaguars 620 South 31st Street PK-6 222 (2016-17)
Jefferson Elementary School Jaguars 4065 Vinton Street K-6 498 (2016-17) 1924
Joslyn Elementary School Jaguars 11220 Blondo Street PK-6 477 (2016-17) 1976
Kellom Elementary School 1311 North 24th Street PK-6 515 (2016-17) 1952
Kennedy Elementary School Tigers 2906 North 30th Street PK-5 230 (2016-17) 1916
King Elementary School Cubs 3706 Maple Street PK-5 375 (2016-17) 1973
Liberty Elementary School Superstars 2021 St. Mary’s Avenue PK-6 745 (2016-17) 2004
Lothrop Magnet Center Panthers 3300 North 22nd Street PK-4 254 (2016-17)
Masters Elementary School Monarchs 5505 North 99th Street K-5 271 (2016-17) 1970
Miller Park Elementary School Simbas 5625 North 28th Avenue PK-5 368 (2016-17) 1910
Minne Lusa Elementary School Panthers 2728 Ida Street PK-5 319 (2016-17) 1924
Mount View Elementary School Lions 5322 North 52nd Street PK-5 374 (2016-17) 1960
Oak Valley Elementary School Owls 3109 Pedersen Drive PK-6 302 (2016-17) 1963
Pawnee Elementary School Cubs 7310 South 48th Street PK-6 487 (2016-17) 1966
Picotte Elementary School Pintos 14506 Ohio Street K-4 324 (2016-17) 1992
Pinewood Elementary School Panthers 6717 North 63rd Street PK-5 222 (2016-17)
Ponca Elementary School Raccoons 11300 North Post Road K-5 122 (2016-17) 1871
Prairie Wind Elementary School Stallions 10908 Ellison Avenue K-5 750 (2016-17) 1994
Rose Hill Elementary School Rams 5605 Corby Street K-5 298 (2016-17) 1907
Saddlebrook Elementary School Green Wave 14850 Laurel Avenue PK-5 482 (2016-17) 2009
Sherman Elementary School Sharks 5618 North 14th Avenue PK-5 205 (2016-17) 1888
Skinner Magnet Center Sky Hawks 4304 North 33rd Street PK-5 355 (2016-17) 1996
Spring Lake Magnet Center 4215 South 20th Street PK-4 836 (2016-17) 1975
Springville Elementary School Eagles 7400 North 60th Street K-5 399 (2016-17) c. 1872
Standing Bear Elementary School Cubs 15860 Taylor Street PK-4 543 (2016-17) 2005
Sunny Slope Elementary School 10820 Old Maple Road PK-5 424 (2016-17) c. 1890
Wakonda Elementary School Wildcats 4845 Curtis Avenue PK-5 350 (2016-17)
Walnut Hill Elementary School Wildcats 4355 Charles Street PK-6 483 (2016-17) 1888
Washington Elementary School Wildcats 5519 Mayberry Street PK-6 337 (2016-17) 1923
Western Hills Magnet Center Wildcats 5616 L Street K-6 256 (2016-17) 1953
Wilson Focus School Lions 5141 F Street 3-6 232 (2016-17) 2008

Alternative/specialized schools
School Mascot Location Grades Enrollment Opened
Blackburn Alternative High School Pride 2606 Hamilton Street 9-12
Dr. J. P. Lord School Pandas 4444 Marinda Street PK-12+ 1938
Omaha Public Schools Career Center 3230 Burt Street 10-12
Parrish Alternative School Panthers 4469 Farnam Street 7-12
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See also

Notes and references
  1. The Omaha Channel (June 7, 2005). "OPS Moves Forward With Annexation Plans". KETV (Omaha, Nebraska).
  2. "Statutes of Nebraska, Section 79-409 - Class V school district; boundaries". State of Nebraska. 1891. Amended 1947, 1949, 1988, 1996.
  3. "Statutes of Nebraska, Section 79-476 - Class V school district; property subject to school tax; management of affairs of district; independent district; merger; procedure". State of Nebraska. 1891. Amended 1949, 1959, 1996.
  4. "Statutes of Nebraska, Section 79-535 - Schools within city of the metropolitan class; control". State of Nebraska. 1891. Amended 1901, 1949, 2000.
  5. Sarah Wilson (February 2, 2006). "Schoolyard Scrap". The Reader (Omaha, Nebraska).
  6. Ellie Ashford (November 8, 2005). "Omaha, suburban districts embroiled in conflict over annexation plan". National School Boards Association.
  7. Nebraska merged its former state House of Representatives into its state Senate in 1934; legislators are called "senators".
  8. "Legislative Bill 1024: An act relating to schools" (PDF). State of Nebraska. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-28.
  9. Sam Dillon (April 15, 2006). "Law to Segregate Omaha Schools Divides Nebraska". New York Times.
  10. Sen. Ron Raikes (Jan 30, 2005). "Introducer's Statement of Intent, Legislative Bill 1024" (PDF). State of Nebraska.
  11. "Legislative Journal" (PDF). State of Nebraska. April 6, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2006.
  12. "Legislative Journal" (PDF). State of Nebraska. April 11, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2006.
  13. Sam Dillon (May 17, 2006). "Schools Plan in Nebraska Is Challenged". New York Times.
  14. Scott Bauer, Associated Press (April 13, 2006). "Omaha schools split along race lines". WTOP, Lincoln, Nebraska.
  15. Michael Beckel (January 5, 2006). "The Maverick of Omaha". Mother Jones.
  16. See reference 8.

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