About Central High

  • Central is a traditional high school in every sense of the word.  We run a traditional nine period day, have traditional classrooms in a building with “old school” charm, and we have a rich tradition of excellence that dates back to 1859.

    When asked what our “specialty” or “theme” is we will tell you, without hesitation . . .  “Academics”.  We provide a quality education that includes:

    • an International Baccalaureate World School that offers over seventy IB, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses 
    • a rigorous English curriculum with an emphasis in classic literature and writing that prepares students for college and beyond
    • a broad World Language department that includes Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Latin
    • an energetic Performing Arts department that continues to stand out on the local, state and national level
    • a nationally recognized Marketing program
    • a reputation of civic consciousness
    • over 40 clubs and activities
    • and, a history of building strong athletes

Here is why our students chose Central

  • "Central High is a school with high expectations that forces its
    students to become responsible,
    educated leaders."

      Mariolivia - Bryan MS    		   "I chose Central because I thought  it would give me a new challenge in school.  I chose CHS because of the rigorous academics and climbing baseball program. An 8th grader should chose CHS because it helps ease students into high school and gives them every opportunity to get the hang of things and to get help with school."

      Brock - Our Lady of Lourdes      		   "I chose Central because they offer the best academics, and the teachers are always there to help.  The best thing about Central is that the student body is like one
    huge family. We are there for each other, and we always work  hard and try our best.  If you want to be challenged, if you want to be part of something amazing, if you
    want to root for the best team, then Central is by far the best!"

      Angie - Morton
         		   "I chose CHS because both of
    my brothers came here and
    because it's the best high school.   You should chose Central because it's very diverse in its student population and you will meet  lots of new people who will become your friends. If  you become an Eagle, you will soar above the others and everyone looks good in purple!"

      Grant - Davis

     

What should I do first when considering a high school for my child?

  • GET IN THE BUILDINGS!  We would love to have your student at Central, but only if it is a good fit for them.  There are many good high schools in the Omaha area, each with their own unique flair and culture.  You will want to pick a high school that best fits your child's interests, personality, and needs. Getting into the buildings gives you a good idea of how the school functions.  

    Here are a couple of ways you can get familiar with Central High School:

    1.   Come for a tour.  We schedule tours between 9:00 – 2:00 on most school days.  This will give you the opportunity to see our building in full action.  We will walk the halls, look at classrooms, experience a passing period, maybe even a lunch period! We will talk about what is most important for a high school experience and will make sure that all of your questions are answered.

    2.   Come to our Open House – Saturday, January 15, 2022  (2:00-4:00)

    This is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the building.  You can also talk with teachers, coaches, sponsors as well as hear from our principal.

    We make it a priority to protect our academic learning environment from disruptions.  Therefore, we do not allow “shadowing” of classes during the school day.

    "I recommend CHS to you for the diversity and the community.  At Central, you can find your group quite easily.  If you think that you are a nerd and you like video games, so do other kids.  You are not going to be the one kid out of 2,500 who likes video games."

    Dezmond - Brownell-Talbott    		   "Central High for me is a long drive downtown when I could have just went to a school out west that is five minutes away. However, what Central will give me in the area of academics beats any school hands down.  Yes, the homework is hard but if I look past that after my four years here, I promise that school after my graduation will be a piece of cake.  8th graders should chose Central because of our wonderful leaders, students, and outstanding academics."

    Jacob - Buffett    		   " I chose CHS because my brother goes to Central and told me about the diversity, great academics, and the great teachers.  After hearing about how great the school is, I no longer wanted to go to a private school, I wanted to go to Central.  Even tough my 8th grade class was small at my old school, I had no problem adjusting to Central."

    Anna - St. Margaret Mary    		   "​ Coming to Central is the best decision I have made in my life so far.  I chose CHS because they have a really good sports program and their academics are amazing.  The best part of Central is our varsity football games.  Everyone comes and supports our team.  If you want a bright, successful future, come be an Eagle."

    Torrence - McMillan Magnet

     

How do we get into Central?

  • This will depend on many things.  The first thing that needs to happen is that you must be enrolled in Omaha Public Schools.  If your child is already attending an OPS school you can skip this step.  If you are coming from a parochial school setting or attending a school outside the district you will need to complete the “Student Information Packet” and submit it to the TAC building.  Once they are enrolled in the district you can begin the school selection process.

    We do our best to accommodate all students that want to come to Central, however, we do have a limit on how many students can attend which means we have to turn students away each year.

    The selection process . . .

    Current 8th grade OPS students will receive a high school selection packet sometime in January at their middle school.  This form must be returned to the middle school counselor or mailed to the TAC building by the deadline. Parochial school students will receive a post card from Omaha Public Schools in December explaining the process of coming to an OPS high school.  The card will also inform you to call the TAC building to receive a High School Selection form and packet.  Although it doesn’t guarantee placement at our school, you will want to list Central as your first choice on the high school selection form. 

    Students automatically placed at Central
    Any student that resides within Central's home attendance area and lists Central first on their selection form will automatically be placed at Central.  You can follow this link to see what your home attendance area school is.

    Students who do not qualify based on address but are given higher priority include: 

     

    • any student that has a sibling currently attending Central
    • students from Lewis & Clark who meet the MYP criteria to continue in the IB MYP programme.
    • students interested in pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme (IB DP)
    • students who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch

     


    Lottery – because our number of request typically exceed the number of students we can allow into our school, the remaining open slots will go into a lottery type system.

    What if I don’t get in?

    If for some reason you do not get into Central and are unhappy with the school that was assigned, you have the option of submitting a Student Transfer Request form.  This form should be completed and turned in to the school of choice by the deadline.  At that point it becomes the principal’s decision to make an exception and exceed the cap. Typically, Dr. Bennett will base his decision on the prospective student’s current grades and behavior.

    For additional questions or to schedule a school tour please contact Mrs. Jamie Miller at 402-557-3382 or jamie.miller@ops.org