As public schools of choice, magnet schools are an important component of the Omaha Public Schools’ Student Assignment Plan. Magnet schools offer extra-value curriculum and experiences not available at other schools in the district. Students and their families select magnet schools because of their interest in the theme or focus of the school. Generally, this interest is so strong that families are willing to sacrifice the conveniences of sending their children to schools close to home.

Magnet schools also serve another important purpose for the Omaha Public Schools. Magnet schools promote a learning environment that embraces diversity and cultural understanding. As stated in the Student Assignment Plan, "Young people, educated in a setting truly reflective of our diverse society, will learn valuable lessons about themselves and others and, throughout their lives, will be more likely to choose to interact well with people of different cultures."

Magnet schools have been designed so that pathways exist for students as they move from elementary to middle to high school. Past experience has shown that students with successful magnet school experiences choose to stay in the magnet program throughout their OPS careers.

Parents and families have no greater charge than to select the right school for their child. Magnet schools offer a fabulous option for students who are interested in a particular theme or focus. We invite you to visit the School Option Information link and insert your address to determine which magnet school(s) your child is eligible to attend.

In the Omaha Public Schools, we believe that magnet schools are an assertive, proactive initiative that does, in fact, respond to the needs and interests of our students, their families, and the community.

The Omaha Public Schools’ Board of Education is committed to the creation and support of magnet schools in the district. Beginning in 1981, six magnet schools were created and implemented to reduce minority isolation. The success of these magnet schools fueled the additional creation of nine more magnets as outlined in the 1998 Student Assignment Plan. This additional emphasis by the Board of Education to reduce socio-economic and minority group isolation, established four zones. Click here to see a map. Roughly, each zone is a corridor of the school district that runs east to west. Each zone currently enrolls approximately 10,000 students and mirrors the overall demographics of the district at large. Each zone has relatively high isolation at each of its ends; minority groups dominate the eastern census tracts of each zone and non-minorities dominate the western ends of each zone. Magnet schools have been implemented in each zone to attract students and reduce socio-economic and minority group isolation.