An overhaul of the Omaha Public Schools plan for moving students among elementary, middle and high schools is under consideration by the school board.
Socioeconomic integration is still the goal. But the plan would eliminate the neighborhood-based “zones” used to determine elementary or middle school choices and instead look at individual family income.
School choices would increase. Students also would have the option to attend any school, if there's room, including the magnet schools.
The idea is similar to concepts under consideration by the Douglas-Sarpy County learning community council.
The council is developing a plan that would use a student's family income to determine where he or she would receive priority admission if the student does not want to attend his neighborhood school.
The council's plan, scheduled for a vote next week, must be in place by next fall.
“It's important for us to be serving the best interest of students in the Omaha Public Schools as well as working within the learning community,” said Carla Noerrlinger, director of research for the district. She presented the plan to a school board committee Monday.
OPS currently has four east-west zones that determine a students' school choices for elementary and middle school.
In general, the goal is to get students who live in the eastern part of the district to move west, and vice versa.
Schools with specialized programs, called magnets, are in each zone and available only to students in that zone.
All seven high schools are open to all students districtwide, with some exceptions at Burke because of crowding.
The plan began 11 years ago to encourage voluntary movement among students, as the district's mandatory integration busing program ended.
Thousands of students attend schools outside of their neighborhoods under the plan. Its use is more common among older students.
Under the new plan proposed Monday, siblings would have first priority for enrollment into a school, followed by those who increase the building's economic diversity.
Students who don't qualify for free- or reduced-cost school meals would get priority admission into 30 elementary schools — about 20 more than they do now. Those 30 schools have a high percentage of low-income students.
Students who qualify for a subsidized meal would get priority into 31 elementary schools — about 15 more than they do now.
A student who increases the diversity of his chosen school would receive bus transportation.
A similar system would be in place at the middle schools
The district would continue to keep all high schools open to all students but would change transportation guidelines to reflect its diversity goals.
Rick Kolowski, chairman of the learning community coordinating council board, had not seen the plan Monday but said it sounded promising.
The number of spaces available in OPS schools for students from elsewhere in the two counties would be determined after resident student movement is completed.
The plan, however, would reserve at least one seat in each classroom for students from another learning community district, even if the school is determined to be at capacity.
Superintendent John Mackiel said the proposal represents a “two-county, inclusive commitment to young people.”
A vote by the full school board is expected next week. If implemented, the plan would go into effect in the fall.
The plan would not affect students now enrolled in schools outside their neighborhoods.
In January, OPS and learning community families will receive the forms required for selecting schools for next fall.
Contact the writer:
444-1037, michaela.saunders@owh.com
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