February 28th Monthly Update

Translations: Arabic | Karen | Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese

LPS families,

We continue to share important district information and reminders via email with all of our families on the last Friday of each month throughout the school year.

Mickle and Park AVID students tour The Career Academy
Mickle and Park AVID students tour The Career Academy

In This Message...

Information for All Families

Coming soon: District Perception Survey

Each year Lincoln Public Schools sends a District Perception Survey to parents, staff, and students in grades 4-12 to gather information about how they view their school. Results provide feedback to school staff that is used to improve teaching, learning, and the school environment. 

LPS families will receive an email on Monday, March 17, from this email address: noreply@qemailserver.com. Please watch for this survey in your email inbox! Your response will be appreciated.

Extra Mile Walk – Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

Go the extra mile – help combat food insecurity by supporting the Food Bank of Lincoln’s BackPack program. Lincoln Public Schools and the Food Bank of Lincoln invite you to help raise money for the program during the 18th annual Extra Mile Walk.

Donate now: 

Your school will be sending more information home about how you can help. You can also click here to donate online!

Extra Mile Walk

Saturday, April 26, 2025, 9:30 a.m.

NEW LOCATION: UBT Stadium at Northwest High School (1111 NW 48th Street)

This year you and your family can join us for family friendly music, games, LPS mascots and food trucks!

For more information, visit the Food Bank of Lincoln’s website at https://www.lincolnfoodbank.org/extramile/

Resources for supporting your child

At School

If your child needs extra support, please know we are here to help. Contact your child’s school so we can connect them with a caring staff member. This includes our counselors, social workers, psychologists, bilingual liaisons, and student advocates (Youth Development Team). You can call your school’s office during the business day, or use the blue Contact Us button on the school’s website anytime to connect with these professionals.

From our Community

You can also utilize any of these community resources:

Community News - March edition

Each month LPS publishes Community News in an effort to help share family-friendly community events and activities from non-profit organizations. Check out the March edition preview of Community News online.

Information for Elementary School Families

It’s time to register your kindergarten student for 2025-26!

Do you have a child – or do you know of a child – that will start kindergarten next year? Lincoln Public Schools is now accepting kindergarten registrations for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Parents of children turning five years of age on or before July 31, 2025 can go to lps.org and click on the red “Enroll Your Student” button. Here you will also find all the information necessary for registering, the required documents needed and answers to frequently asked questions.

For children who turn five between August 1 and October 15, parents may request an assessment for their child to receive a waiver to attend school early. That information is also located on the kindergarten registration page. 

Parents who do not have access to the online registration, or wish to register their child in person, should contact their attendance area elementary school as soon as possible. Questions about kindergarten registration should also be directed to the child’s attendance area school. 

For more information about kindergarten registration and assessment testing for incoming students, please go to: https://home.lps.org/studentservices/kindergarten-registration-assessment/.

LPS preschool applications for 2025-26

We will be accepting preschool applications for the 2025-26 school year starting January 3! 

Application materials are available on our website and also available in our Early Childhood Department Office, located at 300 S. 48th Street (enter door #2) between the hours of 8:00  a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Evening hours are available on March 6 and April 2 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

LPS preschool is for children who reside in the Lincoln Public School boundaries and are at least 3 years of age on or before July 31, and are not yet kindergarten age eligible (are age 5 on or before July 31, 2025).  

Our inclusive preschool classrooms are located at 31 LPS buildings across the district and serve three-to-five year olds.  

Applications along with the required materials may be submitted by:

  • Emailing earlychildhood@lps.org
  • In person Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 300 South 48th Street
  • By mail:
    Department of Early Childhood
    300 South 48th Street
    Lincoln, NE 68510

 

Information for Middle and High School Families

Jobs and Extended Learning Opportunities (JELO)

Is your child looking for a job or other extended learning opportunity? Students can use their Chromebook or LPS Student Portal account to check out our electronic bulletin board by going to lps.org and typing in the keyword “JELO”. (Students must be logged in to their LPS Student Portal to view the board.) 

Students in grades 6-12 will find information about a wide variety of opportunities available. This includes activities, camps, jobs and internships. We update the board every Wednesday afternoon.

Are you a business or organization wanting to share your opportunities with LPS students?

If so, please enter the information about your program/opportunity here:  www.bit.ly/stujobslps.

Once you submit the information on the form, we will review it to ensure that it fits with our Board policies and regulations before we post it to the electronic bulletin board. Once an opportunity is posted, students in all middle and high schools are easily able to access the information. Please note: anyone outside of the LPS network or without LPS Portal access will not be able to access the eBulletin board.

Juniors: ACT tests are coming up

All students in 11th grade take the ACT as part of state testing. With the family’s permission, ACT will share the results with colleges, universities, and scholarship funding agencies. Families of 11th grade students will receive an email next week with a link to a permission form. Families will need to complete the form in order for ACT results to be shared with colleges, universities, and scholarship funding agencies.

High School Seniors: Get money for college! File your 2025-26 FAFSA.

Graduating seniors still have time to file their 2025-26 Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

A new Nebraska state law (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-729) requires that each public high school student completes or opts out of filing the FAFSA form before graduating high school. If you are choosing to opt out, the form is below.

Don’t delay! We are asking that you please either fill out the FAFSA form or the LPS opt out form before April 18, 2025.

Apply now at bit.ly/DoTheFAFSA.

Did you know? 

  • High school seniors leave thousands of federal dollars for college behind each year by not filling out the FAFSA. 
  • The new FAFSA form has expanded eligibility allowing up to 610,000 more students to qualify for federal student aid.
  • The new FAFSA now gives students access to an additional $1.8 billion in federal student aid. 
  • Is your student considering staying closer to home for college? Several Nebraska colleges and universities offer free tuition for first-time undergraduate students eligible for the Pell Grant.

Need help?

Encourage your student to stop by their school’s counseling office or visit our website at bit.ly/LPSFAFSA for more resources.

Want to opt out for now?

You can complete the opt out form in your language and keep progressing toward graduation. 

Fund Your Future – File Your FAFSA. 

Don’t miss this opportunity for free college cash!