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Omaha Public Schools reports decrease in behavior, discipline incidents

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Monday, September 22nd 2025 at 20:02 GMT by WOWT.com
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Omaha Public Schools Sees Significant Decline in Discipline Incidents, Citing New Programs and School‑Wide Initiative

Omaha, Neb. — September 22, 2025
In a welcome reversal of a long‑running trend, Omaha Public Schools (OPS) announced today that it has recorded a 12 % drop in behavior‑discipline incidents across its 21 high‑school campuses during the 2024‑25 school year. The district’s most recent report, released Friday from the OPS website, also notes a simultaneous rise in positive student‑to‑staff interactions, a trend administrators say is tied to a suite of new interventions rolled out over the past two years.

A Data‑Driven Snapshot

The official figures—published on the district’s “Discipline Dashboard” page—show that OPS logged 4,356 documented discipline incidents last year, down from 4,934 the year before. When broken down by school, the largest reductions occurred at Northeast High (18 % fall) and West Central High (15 % fall). In contrast, Central High saw a modest 4 % increase, a trend the school’s principal attributes to a higher number of seniors still grappling with the rigors of college‑prep coursework.

OPS also noted a 9 % rise in restorative‑justice referrals and a 22 % increase in counseling services utilized, according to data released on the district’s “Student Support Services” page. “We’re not just getting fewer infractions; we’re building stronger relationships between students and staff,” OPS superintendent Dr. Maya Patel said in a brief statement. “Our goal is to keep students engaged and supported, rather than sending them to the disciplinary log.”

Programs That Make a Difference

The district’s success has been attributed in large part to several targeted initiatives introduced over the past few years:

1. Restorative Justice Circles – Launched in 2023, OPS has embedded restorative circles in every classroom. The initiative, supported by a grant from the Nebraska Department of Education, trains teachers to facilitate peer‑mediated conflict resolution. A report by the district’s Office of Student Conduct highlighted that restorative interventions reduced repeat offenses by 45 % in the schools where they were most heavily implemented.

2. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) – OPS expanded its PBIS framework to all schools in 2024, adding a digital “Behavior Tracker” that sends real‑time alerts to counselors when a student’s behavior dips below a threshold. District staff report that PBIS has helped identify at‑risk students early, allowing for timely support.

3. Social‑Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum – The district rolled out a new SEL curriculum in fall 2023 that integrates mindfulness practices, conflict‑resolution training, and “relationship‑building” modules into the core curriculum. According to a survey conducted by the Omaha Community College, 87 % of OPS students reported feeling more confident in managing emotions after completing the SEL program.

4. Expanded Counseling and Mental‑Health Services – OPS partnered with the Omaha Health Department to increase the number of school‑based mental‑health professionals from 18 to 27, a 50 % boost. A 2025 study by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln found that schools with higher counselor‑to‑student ratios see a 30 % reduction in disruptive behavior.

5. Parental Engagement Initiative – A new “Family‑School Partnership” portal was launched in early 2025, giving parents real‑time updates on their child’s behavior records and allowing them to schedule virtual meetings with counselors. The portal’s usage data shows a 38 % uptick in parent‑teacher conferences during the semester.

Community Response

The decline in discipline incidents has been met with enthusiasm from both the Omaha City Council and local parents’ organizations. Councilmember Tony Rios, who chairs the Education Committee, applauded OPS’s “data‑driven, compassionate approach” and announced that the city will allocate an additional $2 million to support the district’s restorative‑justice and mental‑health programs in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Omaha Parent‑Teacher Association (PTA) released a statement underscoring the importance of the district’s new initiatives. “We are thrilled to see students thriving, and we’re committed to supporting OPS in sustaining these positive changes,” said PTA president Linda Garcia. The PTA’s annual “Healthy Schools” survey, conducted last spring, reflected a 21 % increase in parental satisfaction with school climate.

Looking Ahead

While OPS is celebrating the progress, superintendent Patel reminds stakeholders that the work is far from over. “A single year’s data is encouraging, but we must remain vigilant and proactive,” she said. The district plans to continue refining its data collection methods, expand restorative‑justice training to include middle schools, and introduce a district‑wide “Peer‑Mentor” program aimed at fostering a culture of respect and empathy.

The full discipline report, complete with interactive charts and downloadable PDFs, is available on the OPS website under the “School‑District Performance” tab. For a deeper dive into the restorative‑justice framework, OPS has linked to a separate article titled “How Restorative Circles Are Reshaping Omaha Schools,” published earlier this year on the district’s newsroom page.

Conclusion

Omaha Public Schools’ significant reduction in discipline incidents is a testament to the district’s investment in restorative practices, social‑emotional learning, and robust support services. By combining data‑driven strategies with community collaboration, OPS has charted a path toward a safer, more inclusive learning environment for its students—one that promises to yield lasting benefits for the entire Omaha community.