Highlights of the February 10 Lincoln Board of Education regular meeting

February 10, 2026

The Lincoln Board of Education held its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 10, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street. 

Special reports, presentations and celebrations of success

Board & Superintendent Annual Goals & Priorities Update

Belonging

The Board had a goal for staff to present to the Board of Education an overview of best practices and measurable progress related to student belonging, in alignment with the district’s Strategic Plan by April 15, 2026. LPS Associate Superintendent for Educational Services Mike Gillotti provided the update on district efforts.

Gillotti presented data from the spring 2025 perception survey that showed of those that took the survey 79% of elementary students felt like they belong at school, 78% of middle school students agreed along with 85% of high school students. 

LPS works to foster a sense of belonging by creating spaces where individuals feel connected, valued and heard. Staff prioritize trust, empathy and the importance of building relationships. The district also respects diversity, cultural understanding and honoring different perspectives and backgrounds.

Building a sense of belonging is spelled out in several tenets of the Prevention, Accountability and Restorative (PAR) Behavior Framework. Through the use of Restorative Practices, LPS is able to reduce conflict and improve behavior which then increases feelings of belonging among students. 

Beyond PAR, schools work to build community connections and develop a welcoming school culture. Gillotti also highlighted the work of Hope Squads and other supportive programs like TeamMates, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and New Student Welcome Process. The district also has bilingual liaisons, youth development team, school counselors, social workers, and school nurses to support students. 

Gillotti wrapped by saying by focusing on the value of belonging, schools see less negative behaviors, an increased sense of safety, improved communication, positive school climate, a welcoming school culture and reduced stressors.

You can watch a highlight of the Belonging presentation here.

High school enrollment and capacity trends

The Board had a goal for staff to develop and present to the Board of Education the results of the study of facility capacity and enrollment trends by April 15, 2026. To meet the goal, LPS Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs Liz Standish presented on the high school enrollment and capacity trends. An update on elementary and middle school will be presented in March.

During the data analysis, the committee looked at the number, size and types of classrooms. They also looked at classroom utilization, class size and programs in each school. Factors that can influence enrollment and capacity include class period enrollment, block schedules, focus program and grade level enrollment, along with student needs like English Learners and Special Education.

Standish pointed out that 41,940 students are enrolled in LPS this school year. There are 13,481 students in grades 9-12. The peak of enrollment for our district is currently moving through our high schools with 3,471 seniors, 3,466 juniors, 3,301 sophomores and 3,243 freshmen. 

LPS has a long-standing process that allows incoming ninth grade students to choose what high school they would like to attend. On average, 63% of students attend their resident high school, with 37% choosing to attend a high school outside of their identified attendance area. 

Standish shared that Lincoln is mirroring national birth-rate trends that show a slight decline. Looking at projections, the district only looks at residents currently in our city and does not include individuals who move to the area. 

During the High School Task Force committee meetings, the community identified the need for two smaller high schools in far northwest and far southeast Lincoln instead of one larger high school. This helped get the six other high schools down to the ideal enrollment of approximately 1,800-1,900 students. 

Both Northwest and Standing Bear high schools are near the 1,000 student mark. With the smallest senior class moving out of both schools this year and a larger ninth grade class coming in, enrollment at these schools will be more than 115% of the target utilization. With Board policy 5120, the Board will then need to look at attendance boundaries or make other adjustments. Later in the meeting, the Board will consider a bid to construct and install two portable classrooms at each Northwest and Standing Bear to accommodate classroom scheduling needs while the Board reviews attendance areas.

You can watch a highlight of the high school enrollment and capacity trends presentation here.

First reading

High school portables

Staff recommend the Board approve the lowest responsible bid for the construction of four portable classrooms – two to be installed at Northwest High School, and two to be installed at Standing Bear High School. This will accommodate classroom scheduling needs while the Board reviews attendance areas.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting on the bid from Genesis Contracting Group in Lincoln for $688,000.

Southwest High School track renovation project

Staff recommend the Board approve the lowest responsible bid for the renovation of the track at Southwest High School.

The LPS Operations team is preparing for summer projects. This is part of the plan to update all school tracks.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting on the bid from M.E. Collins Contracting Co. Inc. in Wahoo for $626,611.

Northeast High School tennis court renovation project

Staff recommend the Board approve the lowest responsible bid for the renovation of the tennis courts at Northeast High School. This is part of the plan to renovate and update all school tennis courts.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting on the bid from Heartland Concrete & Construction in Hastings for $633,922.

Proposed negotiated agreement with the Lincoln Education Association

In a proposal presented to the Lincoln Board of Education on Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Lincoln Education Association (LEA) and Lincoln Public Schools have reached a tentative two-year contract agreement for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years.

The tentative agreement represents an intentional combination of the valuable contributions our teachers make for Lincoln Public Schools and revitalizing district practices to support student learning along with teacher retention and recruitment.

Approved by a vote of LEA members on January 28, the tentative agreement provides a total compensation package increase of 4.20 percent for the 2026-27 school year, with the base salary increasing from $49,556 to $50,156. In addition, the 7.44 percent increase in health insurance costs from the provider will be split between the school district covering 80 percent and educators 20 percent of the out of pocket increase. 

For the 2027-2028 school year, the tentative agreement provides a total compensation package increase of 4.25 percent, with the base salary increasing from $50,156 to $50,756.

Other highlights of the proposed contract changes for educators includes:

• Special Education incentives that allow current and new educators to move an additional step on the salary schedule. There will also be a $1,000 stipend at three, five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of consecutive service in a Special Education role.
• There will be two weeks of paid parental leave for certificated staff that runs concurrent with FMLA during a 12-month period.
• New hires will be compensated at the workshop participant rate for attending required orientation days.
• Educators at Step 15 or higher with 750 hours of accumulated leave can elect to be paid out accumulated leave hours they will receive the following contract year at $25 per hour.
• Educators who qualify for leave payout at separation will be paid $25 per hour.
• Eligible educators will have 75 percent of leave payout go to a 403(b) and 25 percent to an HRA.
• Extra standard assignments are moving from a points system to a base generator, with boys and girls equivalent sports being paid the same.

This tentative agreement with LEA impacts approximately 3,700 teachers, librarians, nurses, social workers, counselors, school psychologists, speech language pathologists and early childhood teachers.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the negotiated agreement at the next meeting.

Second reading

Student Support Facility

Staff recommended the Board approve the lowest responsible bid that met the specifications for the new Student Support Facility located at Yankee Hill.

The 47,000-square-foot facility will be built south of the current Yankee Hill Education Center at West Burnham Street. It will house the existing Yankee Hill program that addresses high school behavioral skills, and add the student support and transition programs. 

The current Yankee Hill facility will be repurposed into a space for the district’s Individual Success Program (ISP). ISP is a comprehensive special education program for students who have developmental disabilities.

The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the bid from Scheele-Kayton Construction, LLC from Lincoln for $19,569,000.

Recycling Equipment Grant from the Nebraska Recycling Council

The Nebraska Recycling Council is accepting applications for grants for recycling equipment. If awarded, the Lincoln Public Schools Sustainability Department would use grant funds to purchase the equipment required to maintain and enhance sustainable waste management practices across the district. This includes expanding compost collection to include paper towel waste in school restrooms and standardizing waste bins in classrooms and common areas through container resets.

A minimum of 20% cash match is required for this grant. LPS plans to utilize $3,150 from a recently awarded Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy grant to fulfill this requirement. A grant of approximately $16,000 will be requested.

The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the grant application.

Informational items and reports

Superintendent update

LPS Superintendent John Skretta highlighted recent events that reinforced earlier presentations about the power of partnerships and family and community engagement. The first being the African American Read-in hosted by Lincoln Public Schools Multicultural Department and Lincoln City Libraries.

Skretta also talked about the TeamMates recognition celebration held last week. The event saw a record number of mentees receiving student achievement awards while celebrating 25 mentors who earned the eDecade of Difference Awards. 

Public comment

There were three individuals that addressed the Board during the public comment period. You can watch the public comment as part of the full board meeting video.

Glimpses of LPS

We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights LPS. Tuesday’s Glimpses was the latest episode of Classroom Calling celebrating early childhood educator Jennifer Frye.

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