The Public Schools of Lincoln, Nebraska: A History of the People, Buildings, and Curricula Hardcover – January 2, 2026

“Our first hall of learning consisted of a single room, unlathed, unplastered, and upstairs over a rather tumble-down frame store building located on the north side of O Street, between Eleventh and Twelfth. Our recreation grounds were the center of the said O Street, where we successfully dodged the farmers’ hayracks, and the two horse drays that semi-occasionally passed our way. The instructing force consisted of a superintendent, a principal, a teacher, and a janitor, all embodied in the person of one Miss Emma Rockwood.” - Samuel English, 1874Today, Lincoln Public Schools serve over 42,000 students in more than 60 schools and programs across the city. Back in 1870, LPS consisted of a few dozen children in two simple stone buildings, and a handful of high school students in a rented room downtown. Much has changed in 160 years. Compulsory attendance laws, vocational education, data gathering, curriculum reform, and the introduction of junior high and middle school all changed the operations of the schools. Military conflicts led to wild swings in population which led to schools being opened and closed, repaired and razed. Legislation like Title IX and ESEA shifted educational priorities. Along the way, brilliant and passionate teachers and administrators have left their imprint on LPS; people like Olivia Pound, Charles Culler, Clare McPhee, Ruth Pyrtle, Millard Lefler, Maude Rousseau, and so many others. This is an account of the people, buildings, and programs of the public schools of Lincoln, Nebraska across time. Read more