Highlights of the April 14 Lincoln Board of Education regular meeting

April 14, 2026

The Lincoln Board of Education held its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street. You can watch the full video of the regular meeting here.

Special reports, presentations and celebrations of success

Board & Superintendent Annual Goals & Priorities Update

Elementary and middle school enrollment and capacity trends

The Board had a goal for staff to present to the Board of Education by April 15, results from the study of facility capacity and enrollment trends. This study is connected to the 2024-2029 LPS Strategic Plan goal of ensuring district systems continue to direct resources based on student needs.

During the presentation, Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs Liz Standish highlighted the elementary and middle school enrollment and capacity trends. Standish presented the high school enrollment and capacity trends in February. 

Actual and projected district enrollment from the last 10 years can be found on the LPS website in the district statistical handbook. Standish told the board that current decline in enrollment at the kindergarten level mirrors birth-rate trends both locally and nationally. 

Each year, the assessment and evaluation team projects enrollment based on the cohort of students currently enrolled at LPS while looking at historical trends. The cohort method does not take into account growth from students and families moving into Lincoln. There is evidence the city continues to grow based on the land being annexed into the city of Lincoln.

During the data analysis of elementary and middle school capacity, 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 student needs, English Learners and Special Education programs.

Board Policy 5120 outlines a process to thoroughly review a school’s facility if the utilization deviates from the District’s target by more than 15% – either over or under. These reviews might include boundary changes, use of portable classrooms or other adjustments.

Projection is cohort numbers - does not include those moving in, it is based on birth rate and current enrollment

Observations at elementary schools include:

  • Brownell, Kloefkorn, Kooser and Lakeview elementary schools are over 100% capacity, but none are over 115%.
  • Portables are used for a variety of reasons, not just because of capacity. Belmont, Brownell, Campbell, Kloefkorn, Kooser, Lakeview, Pershing, Pyrtle, Riley, Sheridan and West Lincoln all have portables.

Observations at middle schools include:

  • All middle schools are under 100% utilization.
  • Goodrich and Schoo currently have portables to accommodate programming needs.

Next steps for the committee include monitoring long-term trends, planning for the future and review high school boundaries.

You can watch a highlight of Standish’s presentation here.

First reading

Newly Annexed Property to the City of Lincoln

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln. This action establishes school attendance areas prior to the sale of residential lots, allowing purchasers to know what schools their children will attend.

There are three areas recently annexed into the City of Lincoln. The proposal assigns the newly annexed areas of Grandview Estates 18th Addition, South 91st Street and Yankee Hill Road and the Woodlands at Yankee Hill to Wysong Elementary School, Moore Middle School and Standing Bear High School. 

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

Tuition Charges for 2026-2027

Each year, the Business Affairs Office makes recommendations to the Board of Education for tuition charges for regular and Special Education programs.  This is done in accordance with Policy 3300 and Regulation 3300-1. This is not paid by individuals, but by other school districts who are sending their students to Lincoln Public Schools for services.

The proposed rates for 2026-2027 include:

  • Grades K-6: $73.43 per day or $12,850 per year
  • Grades 7-8: $88.00 per day or $15,400 per year
  • Grades 9-12: $102.86 per day or $18,000 per year

The Special Education program rate will be determined using the calculation provided by the Nebraska Department of Education.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next regular meeting on tuition charges.

Math Expressions curriculum materials

The Math Expressions curriculum was approved by the Board in 2017, and is strongly aligned with Nebraska state math standards and utilizes best practices in mathematics education. It is a mix of print and digital resources that develops procedural fluency from conceptual understanding. 

Current subscriptions expire at the end of the school year. This purchase will be used at elementary schools that are not currently piloting the new math curriculum for the 2026-2027 school year. Staff recommend the purchase estimated at $663,993 for physical activity books and digital access to curriculum from Heinemann. 

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next regular meeting on tuition charges.

Proposed two-year negotiated agreements with technicians and administrators

Under Board Policy 2120, the district recognizes the administrator and technician groups as similarly situated for the purpose of bargaining. Representatives from both groups met with the LPS chief negotiated and propose the following two-year negotiated agreement:

Technicians

  • The total package for 2026-2027 is 4.35%, which includes a 4.21% salary increase and an increase to the service year stipend.
  • The total package for 2027-2028 is 4.43%, which includes a 3.49% salary increase and an increase to the service year stipend.

Administrators

  • The total package for 2026-2027 is 4.14%, which includes a 4.26% salary increase.
  • The total package for 2027-2028 is 4.21%, which includes a 3.53% salary increase.

All agreements also include increases in FICA and retirement costs and an estimated 7.44% increase in health insurance premiums. The District will cover 80% of the out-of-pocket health insurance increase for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 years. The full negotiated agreements can be found online.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next regular meeting on the two-year negotiated agreements.

Second reading

Update to Policy 3960

The Board periodically reviews and revises policies to align with current practices or meet requirements set forth by local, state or federal laws and regulations.

The proposed revision brings Policy 3960 in line with state requirements. 

The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the policy revisions.

Promoting Engagement and Knowledge (PEaK Project) grant application

The LPS Special Education department will once again apply for Promoting Engagement and Knowledge (PEaK) grant funding through the Nebraska Department of Education Office of Special Education. 

NDE began making these grants available annually during the 2018-2019 school year. These funds are intended to support school districts’ work to improve academic outcomes for students with disabilities. 

The grant will support the implementation of interventions for students and provide professional learning opportunities for teachers across LPS. This will target second, third and fourth grade. Professional learning will include sessions related to the science of reading, research-based reading interventions and math instruction that meets the needs of struggling learners.   

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

Informational items and reports

Superintendent update

LPS Superintendent John Skretta opened his remarks by highlighting opportunities he had to visit different schools and programs across the district.

Last week, Southeast Community College hosted Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. As part of the tour, they also visited The Career Academy while students and staff demonstrated precision machining, culinary arts and health sciences for the group.

Skretta also visited North Star High School and Bay High Focus Program. He encouraged the community to check out the Skate, Art and Music Fest at Bay High on April 24 starting at 4 p.m. 

Last night, administrators and staff from across the district joined Las Voces Nebraska in celebrating Hispanic, Latino and Latina graduating seniors during a special ceremony at Southeast Community College. 

Skretta also thanked Northwest High School for assisting the Nebraska National Guard with their send-off ceremony on Saturday. This ceremony honored the soldiers and families of the 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and the 234th Brigade Signal Company.

Public comment

There was one individual 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 highlighted the embryology unit at Hill Elementary School – celebrating 50 years of the project. You can watch Glimpses on YouTube.

Published: April 14, 2026, Updated: April 14, 2026