Omaha Public Schools

"In the Omaha Public Schools, we prepare our students for life in a world where understanding and appreciation of diversity are essential.

 

Diversity is abundant in the Omaha Public Schools, which enrolls about 46,000 students of various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.

 

Our students learn to work and play side by side – sharing discoveries and solving problems together.

 

Omaha families value education and expect a great deal from their children and their schools. The majority of our graduates go on to college or technical schools.

 

We are proud of our alumni who have used their education and individual talents to become valuable and contributing members of society.

 

In the Omaha Public Schools, excellence is our standard. Our goal is to provide all students with the high-quality instruction needed to prepare for life in tomorrow's high-tech world.

 

We are proud of our students, our staff, our special programs and our national ranking. Omaha Public Schools belongs to the North Central Association and is one of the country's few major urban school districts to maintain state AA accreditation.

 

Our test scores exceed the national average for large school districts. Our graduates receive more than $25 million in scholarship offers annually while over 61 percent go to college or other post-secondary schools.

 

Programs 

Our programs are just as diverse as the students we serve. We have Nebraska's largest special education program for students who have various disabilities. Omaha Public Schools offers a variety of high quality services to students with disabilities from birth through the school year in which the student turns 21. Parents and families work with school staff to develop an Individual Education Program (IEP) or an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) that addresses the needs of the student. Special Education programs and services are available at each building in the district. Some programs are available at selected sites and we bring children to a particular location for specialized, intensive, remedial instruction. Many support staff work with general educators and special educators to provide related services that students need to participate in their educational program. Speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, hearing and vision resource teachers, audiologists and consultants travel between buildings to work with students, teachers and other staff. In a given school year, over 9,000 students receive some type of special education services from the district. There are over 600 special education teachers/therapists and over 300 paraprofessionals who work with principals, general educators and other building staff to create individualized, inclusive school environments.

 

We also work with gifted and talented students by providing a wide array of enrichment programs. Students have opportunities for advanced studies in virtually every subject area including all the core curriculum, music, art and physical education. Important examples of superior achievement are found in topics that range from geography to debate, from physics to photography.

 

A well-rounded athletic and physical education program has produced professional athletes and Olympic gold medalists, while instilling in all students the importance of ""fitness for life."""