1859-1899
Common Schools and Universal Education
National Trends
In its early years, Omaha Public Schools sought opportunities to be on the front lines of education. The founders cared about universal access to education in Omaha and thus established OPS as the first public school system in Douglas County. No child would be denied admission based on their family’s social or economic background.
1859
Omaha Public Schools began with the opening of its first school, Howard Kennedy. The school was named after Kennedy, the district’s first teacher, principal and superintendent.
Civic & Global Contributor
1860-1863
School district closed due to lack of funding because of the Civil War.
1862
Union Pacific Railroad established.
A Union Pacific locomotive pushes two cars on the first transcontinental line on May 9, 1869.
1863
First school built. The school is made of wood. This building was found in 1898 when Dodge sold to Omaha Public Schools.
A drawing of the Dodge Street School is pictured to the right.
National News: Emancipation Act established and slavery abolished.
1867
NE Statehood (state seal)
1869
Pacific School opens. It is one of the first all-brick schools.
1874
Adult Education
An adult education English class poses for a picture at Jungmann School.
Communicator
1875
On October 1, 1875, President Grant visits Omaha High School.
Students pose in front of Omaha High School with President Grant.
1876
The Omaha High School Class of ‘76 are the first graduates from Omaha Public Schools.
1879
Lake School opens. Lake School Principal Emma Whitmore began in 1882. Students would plant trees on the school’s campus regularly. At graduation, the class would bury a box with all of their names in it underneath a tree. The key to the box was fastened around a pigeon. The pigeon would fly away, carrying the key to an unknown place. The mural artists imagined this was done to symbolize students beginning their journeys in life, going on to make a difference in the world.
1884
The district was the first to establish manual training shop classes for hands-on learning in auto mechanics.
At right, OPS students participate in shop class, n.d.
Innovator
1886
Mary Newton becomes the first principal of Castellar Elementary (spelled Castelar today), and likely the first female principal of an OPS school.
Textbooks are now free for students.
1889
Lake School is the first public school in Nebraska to fly the U.S. flag on school grounds. Upon the admission of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, Lake would also be the first Nebraska school to fly the new 50-star flag.
Far right: Four years later, an 8th grade class sits on Lake School’s steps in 1892.
1891
Normal Pleasant School/High School graduates learn to teach
The Pleasant Hill School, a high school graduate to teacher pipeline program, is pictured at left.
Civic & Global Contributor
Nebraska Compulsory Education Act passed
1892
The implementation of kindergarten into each school in 1892 allowed for more exploration of the young mind.
A Fontenelle Elementary School kindergarten class puts their coats away, n.d.
1895
OPS hires Lucinda Gamble, its first African American teacher.
Resilient Achiever
1896
Gamble & Overall
After the district hires Lucinda Gamble to teach at Dodge Elementary in 1895, Eulalia Overall, another African-American teacher, would also be hired by OPS, shortly after Gamble. Upon Overall’s retirement in 1910, there would be no African-American teachers working ain the district until 1939.
In 1896, sight and hearing tests become mandatory in schools.
Communicator
Lunch at Omaha High School
The Women’s Christian Temperance Union begins serving lunch at Omaha High School. OPS took over operations in 1909.
1898
Belle Ryan starts at Omaha Public Schools as the first Assistant Superintendent.
Resilient Achiever
Trans-Mississippi Exposition
The Trans-Mississippi Exposition is held in Omaha and attended by President William McKinley.
At left, a photograph of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition Grand Court in Omaha, at night.
Innovator
1896
Plessy v. Ferguson - “Separate but Equal”
This national, landmark U.S. Supreme Court case upheld the constitutionality of "Separate but Equal" school facilities. The court ruled that racial segregation in schools was permissible as long as facilities were equal in quality.
| 1859-1899 | 1899-1939 | 1939-1979 | 1979-2019 | Future |