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Omaha Public Schools reports declines in serious behavior events and suspensions; equity gaps remain
Summary
District leaders reported reductions in serious behavior incidents, short- and long-term suspensions and expulsions for 2024–25, while noting ongoing disproportionality for some student groups and increased use of in-school suspension.
Omaha Public Schools staff presented a districtwide behavior and discipline summary for the 2024–25 school year on Oct. 6 that showed declines in several major categories but ongoing equity concerns.
Danielle Starkey, supervisor of multi-tiered systems of support for behavior (MTSSB), told the Board of Education the district recorded a 2.9% reduction in behavior referrals compared with the prior year, equal to 2,455 fewer referrals. Starkey said the district saw “double-digit percentage reductions in serious behavior events, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions” linked to the districtwide MTSSB implementation.
Key data Starkey presented included: - Behavior referrals down 2.9% year over year (about 2,455 fewer referrals). - Short-term out-of-school suspensions down 18% (more than 500 fewer students served out-of-school suspension compared with the prior year). - Long-term suspensions down 24% compared with 2023–24. - One-semester expulsions down 18%; calendar-year expulsions rose slightly from 2 to 4. - In-school suspensions increased 13%; mandatory reassignments rose by eight students.
Starkey said reductions in weapons incidents, assault with injury, fighting and drug possession drove much of the positive change; threats and reckless behavior with injury showed small increases. She attributed results to a mix of prevention, classroom strategies, de-escalation training and stronger systems for individualized support, and told the board the district has prioritized de-escalation training and MTSSB implementation in both February professional learning days and new-staff onboarding.
Board members pressed for details about equity. Dr. Shavona Holman asked whether disproportionality increased or remained the same; Starkey said the rates for students receiving special education services and for Black or African American students “maintained the same” compared with the prior year, though the absolute number of students in those groups experiencing exclusions decreased. Starkey highlighted a measurable improvement for students receiving educational benefits (commonly used as a proxy for low-income status): that group's relative likelihood of exclusion fell from almost twice as likely to about 1.2 times as likely compared with students not receiving benefits.
Several board members asked about whether state law changes (reducing suspensions in early grades) accounted for the decline; Starkey said the decreases extend beyond pre-K through second grade and represent districtwide trends over two years.
Board members also discussed the rise in in-school suspension and asked how those placements were being structured to support academics and behavior; Starkey said in-school suspension instances can span a single class period to a full day and emphasized efforts to keep students on campus and support learning when exclusions occur.
Starkey closed by noting the work is ongoing and that the district will continue strengthening evidence-based interventions, individualized behavior and safety plans, and assessment processes to ensure timely, coordinated responses.
Why it matters: The data indicate progress in reducing exclusionary discipline, which district staff said increases students'access to instruction. At the same time, the board focused on continuing to reduce disproportionality and to ensure supports align with students'needs.
