Cities our size typically have more than one school district. Lincoln is unique.
Lincoln also has exceptional public schools. But our work, when it comes to education, is never done. We should always be striving for more for all of Lincoln’s kids.
To understand why the Foundation exists it is helpful to know the sheer size of Lincoln Public Schools and some of the metrics schools use to evaluate our strength and effectiveness.
-
Graduation RateIn 2024 the Lincoln Public Schools graduation rate was 79.3% with a total of 2,818 individuals graduating from the six area high schools.
-
Free and Reduced Lunch45.2% of LPS students participated in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program in the 2024-25 school year.
-
Gifted StudentsIn the 2024-25 school year, 15.4% of LPS students participated in differentiated curricula developed to suit the learning needs of gifted young people.
-
Cost Per PupilIn 2023-24, the LPS budget per pupil was only 93% of the Nebraska average. LPS spent $16,051 per pupil compared to the state average of $17,205.
-
Individualized Education ProgramsIn the 2024-25 school year, 15.8% of the student population participated in the special education program to improve educational outcomes for all children with disabilities.
-
Student DiversityStudents enrolled in 2024-25 identified as 60.2% White, 17.2% Hispanic/Latino, 7.6% Black, 4.9% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, and 9.4% as two or more races.
Resources for Additional Education Statistics
While tax dollars cover the basic costs of our public schools, there still are unmet needs. That’s where we come in. The Foundation raises funds for opportunities above and beyond what is budgeted. We fund a wide range of projects and needs that enrich the learning happening at LPS, everything from funding field trips to helping families in crisis, and so much more.
-
Additional statistics and data collected by LPS can be found here.
