The Lincoln Board of Education and Educational Service Unit (ESU) 18 held regular meetings on Tuesday, June 23, at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street. The Board of Education meeting started at 6:00 p.m. with the ESU 18 meeting following immediately after.
Earlier in the evening, the Board held a special work session for the purpose of previewing the Preliminary Proposed 2026-2027 LPS Budget. You can read the summary and watch the work session video on our website.
Lincoln Board of Education regular meeting
Special reports, presentations and celebrations of success
Allysa Diehl – Schoo Middle School
Schoo Middle School Principal Allysa Diehl was recently named the 2025-2026 Region 1 Outstanding New Principal of the Year by the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals.
Diehl was hired in 2009 as part of the team to open Schoo, beginning her career as a sixth-grade teacher and later teaching eighth-grade English. After serving for a year as the school district’s middle school English coordinator, she returned to Schoo as an instructional coordinator, later serving as associate principal before stepping into the principal role two years ago.
Megan Lytle – Lincoln Public Schools Health Services Coordinator
Megan Lytle serves as the Lincoln Public Schools Health Services Coordinator and received the 2026 School Nurse Administrator Award from the Nebraska School Nurses Association.
As a health services coordinator for LPS, Lytle works with more than 60 LPS school nurses on everything from performance appraisals to Heart Safe School initiatives, and she shapes district standards through the development of high-impact courses.
First reading
2026-27 Transportation Plan
Annually, LPS Transportation Director Phil Skorupa gives an overview of the previous school year and transportation plans for the upcoming year to the Board.
The mission of LPS Transportation is to provide safe and timely student transportation to and from assigned schools and activities according to district policies. During the 2025-2026 school year there were 4,749 LPS students who used LPS Transportation each day, up 383 students from the year prior. Approximately 1.88 million route miles were logged during the school year, with 190,122 miles for activities and athletics.
There are currently 128 routes planned for the 2026-2027 school year. The Transportation department is working to build up to 150 routes as staffing and equipment allows. Because LPS needed to consolidate routes in the past due to staffing shortages, some student ride times exceed an hour and may be closer to 90 minutes. Every effort is being made to reduce student ride times. To aid in this, some of the bus routes will move to corner bus stops instead of door-to-door stops. Information will be shared with families prior to the school year starting.
Board policy 3710 states that LPS Transportation will transport only those students who qualify under provisions of state law, including:
Elementary and Middle School students residing more than four miles from the school in the attendance area within which they reside.
Special Education students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) require transportation as essential to learning.
Students who have been moved for the benefit of the district to relieve overcrowding, due to major facility renovations, or for efficiency in use of buildings and/or staff.
In addition, the Board, at its discretion, may approve other transportation areas based upon unique circumstances and for the purpose of equalizing school enrollments and facilitating programs.
A partnership between LPS and EverDriven allows the school district to meet the requirements to serve students who qualify under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. EverDriven provides passenger vehicles and drivers to transport students from where they are staying to their home attendance school. Last year there were 422 students served through this program. The service costs approximately $65 per trip.
The LPS Transportation Department continues to hire bus drivers, substitute drivers and transportation paras. There is also an interview day coming up on July 17.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the plan at the next regular meeting in July.
Planning Region Team Grant Proposal
The Planning Region Team (PRT) is an organized group of parents, advocates and representatives from community agencies, organizations, daycares and childcare providers and LPS who assist with the planning and implementation of the Early Intervention Act within LPS.
Staff propose submitting a grant application to the Nebraska Department of Education for $65,750 to support the work of the PRT in implementing the Early Intervention Act.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting.
Sixpence Grant Proposal
The Sixpence Early Learning Fund provides funding for high-quality early childhood education programs. These programs, in partnership with local school districts, aim to support the development of young children ages birth to three and particularly those at risk. Sixpence grants are designed to promote community-level partnerships and ensure that young children receive the best possible start to life.
LPS plans to use these funds to support the Student Child Learning Centers at Northeast High School, Lincoln High School and Bryan Community, along with the home-based program.
Due to application deadlines, the Board waived second reading and voted to approve the grant application.
Policy revisions: 6222, 8130 and 5000 series
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.
Recent legislative changes require Policy 6222 to be updated. Under the new state law, any Lincoln Public Schools high school student who was or is under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court or placed in an out-of-home care during their high school experience can graduate from LPS as long as they meet the state minimum graduation requirements.
Several revisions to the 5000 policy series are also the result of changes to state law during the last legislative session. The changes are to policies addressing enrollment, short and long-term suspension and communication, expulsion and communication, and when students cannot be removed from school enrollment if the parents are under investigation for abuse.
The Board is also considering adjustments to Policy 8130 that outlines Board committee structures to better align the work of staff and Board.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the policy revisions at the next meeting.
Agreement with Educare of Lincoln
In a long-standing agreement between Educare and LPS, LPS serves as a pass-through for funds from the Sixpence Early Learning Grant to Educare. The agreement is required to be approved annually. Educare is required to match the grant 100%, and no funds or match are required by LPS.
Due to application deadlines, the Board waived second reading and voted to approve the grant application.
Second reading
Policy updates: 3560 and 3610
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. Recent legislative changes require Policy 3560 and 3610 to be updated to align with new requirements.
The policy revisions include updates to the service contract renewals process and the Board approval process to ensure competitiveness on bids.
The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the revisions.
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.
The area of Wandering Creek PUD was recently annexed into the City of Lincoln. The proposal assigns the newly annexed area to Pyrtle Elementary School, Lux Middle School and East High School.
The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the assignments at the next meeting.
Proposed 2026-2027 Pay Rates for Substitutes and Miscellaneous Employees
Each year the Board reviews pay rates for substitutes and miscellaneous employees.
This year the recommended salary increases are dependent on the employee group and range from no increase to a 4.34% increase.
The rate changes can be found online. The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the salaries.
Proposed agreements with Maintenance Employees Association and LPS Association of Office Professionals for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 contract years
LPS recognizes the Maintenance Employees Association and LPS Association of Office Professionals as the exclusive bargaining agents to negotiate salary, fringe benefits, and working conditions for the members of their respective employee groups. Representatives from both groups met with the LPS chief negotiated and propose the following two-year negotiated agreement:
Maintenance Employees Association
The total package for 2026-2027 is 4.17%, which includes a 4.34% salary increase.
The total package for 2027-2028 is 4.25%, which includes a 3.70% salary increase.
LPS Association of Office Professionals
The total package for 2026-2027 is 4.62%, which includes a 4.25% salary increase.
The total package for 2027-2028 is 4.52%, which includes a 3.59% 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 held a second reading and voted 5-1 to approve the negotiated agreements.
Informational items and reports
Outdoor Spaces and Exterior Amenities
LPS Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs Liz Standish presented an Outdoor Spaces and Exterior Amenities plan to the Board. The plan was developed after staff and the Board Planning Committee reviewed and inventoried outdoor amenities at each elementary, middle and high school along with district athletic and activity facilities.
As part of the review process, school sites were compared to each other across the district along with peer schools, and industry and prevailing practice to gain in sight into the baseline expectations for outdoor spaces. A needs-based analysis was compiled and a plan was developed to begin to address gap areas.
Elementary School Outdoor Spaces
At the elementary level, the analysis looked at overall capacity, safety, active play areas (like walking tracks, fields and paved play areas), inclusivity and accessibility, and the variety of play available on site.
There are currently 39 elementary sites, and a 10-year plan creates a rotation for when playground spaces will be modified at each school. This will ensure there will be adequate LPS staff available to work on the projects, and allows community partners to plan fundraising timelines to assist in offsetting district costs. The district analysis will guide the work with input from the school on each update.
The rotation will be as follows:
2027: Belmont, Kooser, Elliott, West Lincoln
2028: Norwood Park, Randolph, Fredstrom, Brownell
2029: Lakeview, Campbell, McPhee, Calvert
2030: Arnold, Holmes, Eastridge, Hartley
2031: Pershing, Saratoga, Meadow Lane, Huntington
2032: Riley, Wysong, Clinton, Morley
2033: Pyrtle, Humann, Kahoa, Roper
2034: Everett, Hill, Adams, Maxey
2035: Sheridan, Robinson, Rousseau, Kloefkorn
2036: Prescott, Beattie, Cavett
Middle School Outdoor Spaces
Lincoln Public Schools is unique in offering lunch recess at the middle school level and the outdoor spaces are primarily used for this purpose. During the study, middle school staff expressed a need for investments in student seating including picnic tables and benches.
LPS Operations staff will work with each middle school to develop a plan for increasing seating elements during the 2026-2027 school year and throughout the summer of 2027.
High School Outdoor Spaces
LPS staff worked with Clark & Enersen to analyze and evaluate the outdoor spaces at district athletic and activity complexes and the eight high school sites. The goal of the study was to establish baseline conditions and a benchmark to ensure competitiveness not only in Lincoln, but within the athletic conference and state competition. This analysis provides clarity for future investments and partnerships.
The study did find that LPS excels in providing consistent primary fields, tracks and tennis facilities at every high school site. However, there is significant disparity between campuses when it comes to baseball and softball facilities. Some of the limitations are because of where the schools are located in an ever-growing city.
The analysis also found that LPS district-level facilities are exceptional when compared to the Heartland Athletic Conference, Omaha metro districts and peer out-of-state institutions.
Recommended improvements at LPS high schools include:
Install field lighting at all high school primary fields to increase the hours fields can be available throughout the year.
At Standing Bear, increase the primary field seat quantity to a minimum of 350 seats.
Install a second discus throwing ring and cage at East High School.
Modify spectator seating area to be ADA accessible at all high school tennis courts.
For baseball, install or replace overhead structures on dugouts along with modifying spectator seating to be ADA accessible at each high school. Also install a second bull pen at Northeast High School and install batting cages at Standing Bear High School.
Research redesign solutions for the baseball field at Southeast High School.
For softball, install or replace overhead structures on dugouts along with modifying spectator seating to be ADA accessible at each high school. In addition, install two bull pens at East, Northeast, North Star and Southeast high schools. Staff also will review the Lincoln High site to assess feasibility for a new softball field, and research redesign solutions for Southeast High School softball.
Recommended improvements at LPS district athletic and activity facilities include:
Install a video board at Beechner Athletic Complex.
For tennis, modify the spectator seating area to be ADA accessible.
For baseball, install permanent overhead shade structures to dugouts and permanent seating at the Northwest Activities Complex.
For softball, installing permanent overhead shade structures for dugouts at all fields located at the Southeast Activities Complex near Standing Bear High School.
Staff recommended the next steps for high school facilities will be to refine the recommendations and develop an initial list of projects. Then staff and the Board can determine funding streams that include a combination of district funds, outside funding and community partnerships. Finally, a schedule will be developed based on the projects identified and funding available.
The community can view a highlight of the Outdoor Spaces presentation to the Board on the LPS YouTube channel.
Superintendent update
LPS Superintendent John Skretta opened his remarks recognizing two retiring administrators.
LPS Security Director Joseph Wright started 13 years ago, and has molded LPS Security and Threat Assessment into a nationally renowned model of best practices during his tenure.
“Joe's vigilant commitment to student, staff and community safety and his professionalism and expertise will be greatly missed,” Skretta said. “Joe has created a model for sustained security excellence in LPS with an outstanding threat assessment team, a tremendous School Resource Officer partnership with the City of Lincoln and Lincoln Police, and a commitment to ongoing preventive safety training and planning.”
LPS Maintenance Supervisor Tim Loseke started in 2002. During his time at LPS he has played a pivotal role in overseeing facilities growth, including projects from successful bond issues in 2006, 2014 and 2020.
Skretta added, “When Tim started with LPS, we served just over 30,000 students, and now we are close to 42,000. The expansion of our schools and facilities reflects that student growth. Tim has done an amazing job of equitably stewarding the use of district resources to ensure that our facilities are state-of-the-art, safe, and welcoming spaces for students, staff, and communities, and that they are hallmarks of our Lincoln community for generations.”
Also during his update, Skretta shared he visited the LPS Summer High School program at Lincoln High. There are nearly 2,000 students taking classes to achieve their academic goals.
Public comment
There were no individuals that addressed the Board during the public comment period.
Glimpses of LPS
We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights LPS. Tuesday’s Glimpses was the latest in The Seat Beside you series featuring Southeast High School graduate Jayson as he prepared a five-course meal for his classmates and instructors. You can watch The Seat Beside you on the LPS YouTube channel.
Educational Service Unit (ESU) 18 regular meeting
The ESU 18 Board met immediately following the Board of Education Regular meeting. You can watch the full ESU meeting video on the LPS YouTube Channel.
First Reading
Policy updates: 3610
Just as the Lincoln Board of Education adjusted their purchasing policy, the ESU board adjusted their purchasing Policy 3610 to ensure alignment with the updated state law.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the revisions at the next meeting.
Interlocal agreement with Lancaster County for services at the Pathfinder program
Each year, the ESU 18 Board approves an interlocal agreement with Lancaster County to offer services at the Lancaster County Youth Services Center. The Pathfinder Program provides educational services and classes to youth detained at the center.
The County agrees to reimburse ESU 18 for all expenses incurred in providing such services pursuant to the agreement, however, that the amount of such reimbursements shall not exceed $1,047,310.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the agreement at the next meeting.