Dramatic student enrollment at LPS continues to climb

Student enrollment at Lincoln Public Schools continues to soar with historic new highs this school year: 41,760 students are attending the school district in 2017-18, an increase of 830 over last year.

That is an increase of almost 15 percent over the past five years – growth that is happening throughout the community, north, south, east and west, in the older neighborhoods and the newer neighborhoods.

“This is what happens in a healthy community and a dynamic public school district,” said Steve Joel, superintendent of LPS.  “That’s like saying we grew the equivalent of two elementary schools this year, only the growth is not confined to one area, it is happening everywhere in Lincoln. In fact, we now have more than 2,000 students at four of our six high schools.”

Lincoln Public Schools officials announced the new numbers Friday afternoon at an outdoors assembly at Meadow Lane Elementary with teachers, staff and administrators cheering on the new numbers.

What do those new totals look like for our school district?

·     Four LPS high schools now have enrollments over 2,000. The largest high school is Lincoln High School – in central Lincoln – at 2,187. But this year three other high schools have more than 2,000 students: Lincoln North Star, Lincoln Southeast and Lincoln East.

·      Scott Middle School – in south Lincoln – has the largest middle school enrollment with 1,144 kids.

·      The largest elementary school is Roper Elementary – in west Lincoln – with 894 kids.

·      LPS has a kindergarten class this year of 3,082 children – that’s the class of 2030.

** The official student enrollment count for LPS is recorded each year on the final Friday of September when numbers are reported to the State Department of Education.

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