Lincoln Public Schools

Public school district · Lancaster County · Nebraska · NCES district ID 3172840

Lincoln Public Schools spent $13,573 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 55% of the other Nebraska districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,425). Its 65 schools enrolled 41,649 students in 2024-25; 29.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,781 per student, up 8.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 82% (Nebraska: 87.3%).

Spending per student among Nebraska's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Lincoln Public Schools ranks 4.

Current spending per student, largest Nebraska districts, FY23Omaha Public Schools $16,585; Westside Community Schools $15,352; Bellevue Public Schools $13,985; Lincoln Public Schools $13,573; Grand Island Public Schools $13,267; Papillion La Vista Community Schools $12,422; Gretna Public Schools $11,616; Millard Public Schools $11,579; Kearney Public Schools $11,473; Elkhorn Public Schools $11,437; State median, 1,000+ students $13,425.10k12k14k16k18kOmaha Public Schools$16,585Westside Community Schools$15,352Bellevue Public Schools$13,985Lincoln Public Schools$13,573Grand Island Public Schools$13,267Papillion La Vista Community S…$12,422Gretna Public Schools$11,616Millard Public Schools$11,579Kearney Public Schools$11,473Elkhorn Public Schools$11,437State median, 1,000+ students $13,425
Current spending per student, largest Nebraska districts, FY23Omaha Public Schools $16,585; Westside Community Schools $15,352; Bellevue Public Schools $13,985; Lincoln Public Schools $13,573; Grand Island Public Schools $13,267; Papillion La Vista Community Schools $12,422; Gretna Public Schools $11,616; Millard Public Schools $11,579; Kearney Public Schools $11,473; Elkhorn Public Schools $11,437; State median, 1,000+ students $13,425.10k12k14k16k18kOmaha Public Schools$16,585Westside Community Schools$15,352Bellevue Public Schools$13,985Lincoln Public Schools$13,573Grand Island Public Schools$13,267Papillion La Vista Community Schools$12,422Gretna Public Schools$11,616Millard Public Schools$11,579Kearney Public Schools$11,473Elkhorn Public Schools$11,437State median, 1,000+ students $13,425
Current spending per student, largest Nebraska districts, FY23Omaha Public Schools $16,585; Westside Community Schools $15,352; Bellevue Public Schools $13,985; Lincoln Public Schools $13,573; Grand Island Public Schools $13,267; Papillion La Vista Community Schools $12,422; Gretna Public Schools $11,616; Millard Public Schools $11,579; Kearney Public Schools $11,473; Elkhorn Public Schools $11,437; State median, 1,000+ students $13,425.10k14k18kOmaha Public Schools$16,585Westside Community Schools$15,352Bellevue Public Schools$13,985Lincoln Public Schools$13,573Grand Island Public Schools$13,267Papillion La Vista Community Schools$12,422Gretna Public Schools$11,616Millard Public Schools$11,579Kearney Public Schools$11,473Elkhorn Public Schools$11,437State median, 1,000+ students $13,425
Current spending per student, largest Nebraska districts, FY23Omaha Public Schools $16,585; Westside Community Schools $15,352; Bellevue Public Schools $13,985; Lincoln Public Schools $13,573; Grand Island Public Schools $13,267; Papillion La Vista Community Schools $12,422; Gretna Public Schools $11,616; Millard Public Schools $11,579; Kearney Public Schools $11,473; Elkhorn Public Schools $11,437; State median, 1,000+ students $13,425.10k14k18kOmaha Public Schools$16,585Westside Community Schools$15,352Bellevue Public Schools$13,985Lincoln Public Schools$13,573Grand Island Public Schools$13,267Papillion La Vista Community Schools$12,422Gretna Public Schools$11,616Millard Public Schools$11,579Kearney Public Schools$11,473Elkhorn Public Schools$11,437State median, 1,000+ students $13,425

Where the money came from

$636,106,000 in revenue: 29.0% state, 61.0% local and 10.0% federal. Total spending including $33,853,000 of capital outlay was $620,998,000, or $14,839 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Lincoln Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $184,574,000; Local $388,002,000; Federal $63,530,000; total $636,106,000.
  • State$184,574,000 29%
  • Local$388,002,000 61%
  • Federal$63,530,000 10%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 43 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

41,850 students in 2022-23, 41,319 students in 2023-24, 41,649 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Lincoln Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 41,850, 2023-24: 41,319, 2024-25: 41,649020k40k60k2022-2341,8502023-2441,3192024-2541,649
Lincoln Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 41,850, 2023-24: 41,319, 2024-25: 41,649020k40k60k2022-2341,8502023-2441,3192024-2541,649
Lincoln Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 41,850, 2023-24: 41,319, 2024-25: 41,649020k40k60k2022-2341,8502023-2441,3192024-2541,649
Lincoln Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 41,850, 2023-24: 41,319, 2024-25: 41,649020k40k60k2022-2341,8502023-2441,3192024-2541,649

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2341,8502939.614.2
2023-2441,3192946.614.0
2024-2541,6492910.814.3

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$194,811,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,655 per student

Lincoln Public Schools booked $194,811,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 3,024 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $64,425 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 70 in 100 Nebraska districts with a figure (state median $61,845, 215 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Nebraska teacher salary at $57,420 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$113,052,00058.0%
Special education$30,851,00015.8%
Vocational$7,0000.0%
Other programs$50,901,00026.1%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,429 in 2018-19, $4,511 in 2019-20, $4,589 in 2020-21, $4,601 in 2021-22, $4,655 in 2022-23.

Lincoln Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,429, 2019-20: $4,511, 2020-21: $4,589, 2021-22: $4,601, 2022-23: $4,65502k4k6k2018-19$4,4292019-20$4,5112020-21$4,5892021-22$4,6012022-23$4,655
Lincoln Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,429, 2019-20: $4,511, 2020-21: $4,589, 2021-22: $4,601, 2022-23: $4,65502k4k6k2018-19$4,4292019-20$4,5112020-21$4,5892021-22$4,6012022-23$4,655
Lincoln Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,429, 2019-20: $4,511, 2020-21: $4,589, 2021-22: $4,601, 2022-23: $4,65502k4k6k2018-19$4,4292019-20$4,5112020-21$4,5892021-22$4,6012022-23$4,655
Lincoln Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,429, 2019-20: $4,511, 2020-21: $4,589, 2021-22: $4,601, 2022-23: $4,65502k4k6k2018-19$4,4292019-20$4,5112020-21$4,5892021-22$4,6012022-23$4,655

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Lincoln Public Schools scored proficient or above: 51% in reading and 49% in math, against 47.1% in reading and 46% in math across Nebraska. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Nebraska, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNebraskaStudents tested
Reading and language arts51%47.1%21,062
Math49%46%21,044

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

82% of the 3,175 students in Lincoln Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Nebraska. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNebraska
Four-year graduation rate82%87.3%
Students in the class3,17524,336

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

40 elementary schools, 18,904 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Kooser Elementary School92915.436.0%Not Title I
Roper Elementary School85014.742.2%Not Title I
Belmont Elementary School77311.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Adams Elementary School76716.018.4%Not Title I
Wysong Elementary73817.46.0%Not Title I
Maxey Elementary School67415.216.8%Not Title I
Arnold Elementary School67312.652.9%Schoolwide program
Campbell Elementary School66912.463.3%Schoolwide program
Rousseau Elementary School58714.932.0%Not Title I
Cavett Elementary School55615.112.8%Not Title I
Meadow Lane Elementary School52312.543.4%Not Title I
Kloefkorn Elementary49715.611.9%Not Title I
The other 28 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Humann Elementary School48714.226.7%Not Title I
Prescott Elementary School48510.861.4%Schoolwide program
Everett Elementary School48011.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
West Lincoln Elementary School46311.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Clinton Elementary School45710.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Randolph Elementary School45212.151.9%Schoolwide program
Pyrtle Elementary School44914.618.0%Not Title I
Fredstrom Elementary School44314.727.1%Not Title I
Kahoa Elementary School43214.820.4%Not Title I
Pershing Elementary School42111.862.3%Schoolwide program
Lakeview Elementary School41812.763.7%Schoolwide program
Holmes Elementary School40213.743.0%Not Title I
Hill Elementary School40213.625.9%Not Title I
Robinson Elementary School39813.321.6%Not reported
Elliott Elementary School3979.8All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Morley Elementary School37014.322.2%Not Title I
Zeman Elementary School36013.326.9%Not Title I
Huntington Elementary School3559.7All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Sheridan Elementary School35213.911.9%Not Title I
Hartley Elementary School34110.4All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Calvert Elementary School33712.840.7%Not Title I
Beattie Elementary School33312.527.6%Not Title I
Brownell Elementary School32511.857.6%Schoolwide program
Mcphee Elementary School30210.0All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Riley Elementary School27611.256.8%Schoolwide program
Eastridge Elementary School26415.220.8%Not Title I
Norwood Park Elementary School25110.058.5%Schoolwide program
Saratoga Elementary School21610.060.8%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

12 middle schools, 9,257 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Scott Middle School1,02015.516.1%Not Title I
Schoo Middle School1,00615.833.3%Not Title I
Goodrich Middle School84912.768.9%Schoolwide program
Moore Middle School84919.26.5%Not Title I
Park Middle School84312.858.0%Schoolwide program
Lux Middle School80316.212.7%Not Title I
Irving Middle School79514.530.9%Not Title I
Pound Middle School73114.826.4%Not Title I
Mickle Middle School70514.935.3%Not Title I
Culler Middle School67710.664.4%Schoolwide program
Lefler Middle School58412.849.1%Schoolwide program
Dawes Middle School39511.138.5%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

7 high schools, 12,789 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Southwest High School2,11019.817.0%Not Title I
Lincoln High School2,08613.848.8%Not Title I
Lincoln East High School1,98217.214.0%Not Title I
North Star High School1,92716.145.0%Not Title I
Lincoln Southeast High School1,84817.226.1%Not Title I
Lincoln Northeast High School1,81916.747.8%Not Title I
Northwest High School1,01715.232.8%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

6 other schools, 699 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Ecse - Homebased52730.73.6%Not Title I
Educare of Lincoln12441.366.1%Not Title I
Early Childhood at Northwest High School2613.069.2%Not reported
Infant Toddler at Lincoln High School115.527.3%Not Title I
Infant Toddler at Bryan Community School84.0not reportedNot Title I
Infant Toddler at Lincoln Northeast High School33.0not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory

These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.

Early Childhood at Northwest High School

School in Lincoln; open in 2024-25; 26 students; 13.0 students per teacher.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.

Contact Lincoln Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Lincoln Public Schools

  1. Nebraska districts by spending per studentLincoln Public Schools ranks 20 of 43 Nebraska districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,573).#20 of 43
  2. Every school district in NebraskaLincoln Public Schools is the number 2 by size of 251 Nebraska districts, with 41,850 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#2 of 251
  3. Omaha Public SchoolsThe next larger Nebraska district: 51,754 students in fall 2022, $16,585 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,585
  4. Millard Public SchoolsThe next smaller Nebraska district: 23,637 students in fall 2022, $11,579 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,579
  5. Compare Lincoln Public Schools with Omaha Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Southwest High School, its largest high school2,110 students in 2024-25, 19.8 per teacher.2,110
  7. Teacher salary spending across NebraskaLincoln Public Schools spent $64,425 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $61,845); spending, not a salary.$64,425
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Lincoln Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Lincoln Public Schools?
    65 schools were open in 2024-25 (40 elementary, 12 middle, 7 high, 6 other), enrolling 41,649 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Lincoln Public Schools spend per student?
    $13,573 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Nebraska median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,425 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,781 per student, up 8.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Lincoln Public Schools' money come from?
    $636,106,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 29.0% state, 61.0% local and 10.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Lincoln Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 5,409 of the 48,276 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 11.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Lincoln Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $194,811,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,655 per student. Divided by the 3,024 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $64,425 per teacher, more than 70 in 100 Nebraska districts (state median $61,845). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Nebraska teacher salary at $57,420 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Lincoln Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Lincoln Public Schools scored proficient or above: 51% in reading and 49% in math, against 47.1% in reading and 46% in math across Nebraska. Nebraska's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Lincoln Public Schools?
    82% of the 3,175 students in Lincoln Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Nebraska. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Lincoln Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    3172840. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25