In January, Omaha Public Schools students have an opportunity to apply for a new school placement.

All Omaha Public School students are guaranteed attendance at their neighborhood school. Every residential address within the district has an identified home elementary school, middle school and high school (neighborhood school) defined by school boundaries. 

The School Choice process allows families the opportunity to apply to attend another school within the district. Families may apply to any school in Omaha Public Schools. However, the Student Assignment Plan determines a student's transportation eligibility and placement priority during the school choice process. Students are prioritized in the following order:

• Neighborhood students 
• Siblings of students already attending the school
• Students applying to a partner school where they are eligible for transportation
• All other students

Omaha Public Schools College & Career Academies and Pathways with the Freshman Academy program allows students to explore career fields and gain skills that will be helpful in college, career and life. In the program:

• All students will experience a Freshman Academy and will engage in conversations with teachers and school counselors in selecting a program of study or pathway of interest without qualification criteria.
• World Languages, as well as Performing and Fine Arts opportunities will be accessible to all students, no matter what high school they choose.
• During their high school career, all students will engage in at least one virtual course.
• All students will have opportunities in Advanced Academics that could include: Cambridge, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment and Seal of Biliteracy.
• All students will experience a rigorous college and career continuum (courses and experiences become more focused as a student progresses through their education).
• All students will experience STEM education.
• All students receive a liberal arts education through required coursework.
• All students will experience deeper learning by maximizing their time and content exploration/mastery with consistent implementation of block scheduling across the district.
  
  
  

High School Application Process

Choosing a high school that meets a student's individual needs is an important opportunity in Omaha Public Schools. We know that students and families make their high school choice based on a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, programming and transportation. Students are guaranteed enrollment at their neighborhood school. Families may apply to any school. However, the Student Assignment Plan will determine their transportation eligibility and priority in the high school choice process. 

Partner Schools

Find your neighborhood school and see your partner schools below to learn more about the Academies and Pathways available to your student. 

• Benson: Central, Westview, Burke
• Burke: North, South, Northwest
• Bryan: Northwest, Buena Vista, South
• Buena Vista: Northwest, Bryan, Central
• Central: Benson, Westview, Buena Vista
• North: Burke, South, Westview
• Northwest: Bryan, Buena Vista, Benson
• South: Burke, North, Bryan
• Westview: Central, Benson, North

The following timeline applies to all students who are at the final grade in their building and will go through the school selection process. The timeline also outlines the timeline for students who are eligible for district-provided transportation under the Student Assignment Plan. 

January – School Selection Applications
The school selection process begins in January. Parents or guardians of any student at the final grade in his/her building (transition grade) will receive an email with a link to complete their school selection for the following school year and may apply to attend non-neighborhood schools.  Students in non-transition grades may apply for a new school by obtaining a paper application from their school's counseling office and submitting it back to their school before January 31.  

February – School Selection Processing
All school selection applications received by the deadline, are processed in a lottery using the placement criteria.  

Placement Criteria

1. Neighborhood school – placement is guaranteed.
2. Students who have a sibling currently enrolled at the requested school and will continue to be enrolled for the next school year. 
3. Students residing in the partner zone (eligible for transportation if living greater than 1.5 miles from an elementary and 2.0 miles from a middle school)
4. Students residing outside the partner zone (not eligible for transportation) 

March – School Selection Notification
A student in a transition grade and those who submitted a school selection application are notified of his/her school selection results through U.S. mail.

April 15 – Student Transfer Requests
For students who did not go through school selection or whose circumstances have changed, the student transfer request process opens for school enrollment changes for the following year.  These requests are processed as they are submitted and approval is subject to available space at each building and grade level. Students whose requests are granted before June 15 and are eligible for transportation under the student assignment plan framework will be included in the transportation routing process.

May – Student Transfer Requests Continue
Student transfer requests continue to be processed.

June 15 – Student Transfer Requests and Transportation Routing Deadline
All enrollment and address changes for the following school year made prior to June 15 will be included in the transportation routing process.

July – Student Transfer Requests Limited Transportation Eligibility
Student transfer requests continue to be processed but transportation eligibility is limited to already established stops and space on the bus.

August – December – Student Transfer Requests and Enrollment Fair
The annual Omaha Public Schools Enrollment Fair occurs prior to the start of the school year.  The fair is designed to assist students who are new to the school district and have not enrolled at a school and assist current students who have experienced a change in residence. The enrollment fair takes place at Teacher Administrative Center. 

Omaha Public Schools strives to protect the academic integrity of coursework once a semester has begun. Research shows that students who change schools while a term is in session run the risk of substantial academic problems. Once a term is in session, student movement between schools will be restricted. The approval of a student transfer request is subject to: 

• space availability at the requested school
• the student’s academic achievement
• the student’s conduct, and
• the time of the year when the request is submitted