By JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike*
An updated High School Student Assignment Plan is set to take effect for Omaha Public Schools in the 2022-23 school year, following approval from the district’s Board of Education in March. The new Student Assignment plan is one of many steps taken by the district to prepare for the opening of two new high schools in fall 2022.
The High School Student Assignment Plan Committee spent 16 months working towards a simple, efficient and equitable plan for all Omaha Public Schools students. The Student Assignment Plan determines a student’s transportation eligibility and priority in the high school choice process. The committee developed several options and gathered feedback from students, parents and staff to help determine the proposal.
Students and families make their high school choice based on a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, programming and transportation. The proposed plan takes this into account. No matter where a student lives, they will have the option to apply to any high school in Omaha Public Schools.
“That choice among schools, combined with our diverse portfolio of schools, will better prepare all students for success in college, career and life,” said Dr. Cheryl Logan, Omaha Public Schools superintendent.
Under the new High School Student Assignment Plan, students may be eligible for transportation to neighborhood and non-neighborhood schools.
- Neighborhood transportation is for eligible students who attend their neighborhood (home) school.
- Instead of using distance, the plan uses streets to identify transportation eligibility areas in each high school boundary.
- Transportation eligibility areas are generally located farthest away from the school.
- The neighborhood transportation eligibility map is to the right.
- Non-neighborhood transportation eligibility is for students who attend a school other than their home (neighborhood) high school.
- The plan creates three partner zones each including three high schools.
- One additional school has been identified as a partner school.
- Students will have priority and be eligible for transportation at other schools in their partner zone and their home school’s additional partner schools also known as their “plus one school” (pictured below).
- For example, students living in the North attendance area would be in the same zone as Burke and South.
- North High School’s plus one school is Westview High at 156th and Ida. Students in the North attendance area would have priority and be eligible for transportation to Burke, South or Westview.
- The three partner zones and the plus one schools are listed below.
- All three partner zones offer students access to diverse programming at high schools across the district.
- The non-neighborhood transportation eligibility map is to the right.
- The plan will go into effect in Aug. 2022 as the new high schools open. The Student Assignment Plan Committee will continue to communicate with families who may be impacted by changes to the High School Student Assignment Plan.
To learn more about the High School Student Assignment Plan, click here.
*JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike is a contributor for El Perico and The Reader.