Lincoln School Referrals Fall Sharply in 2025-26
Police referrals to juvenile authorities from Lincoln Public Schools fell to 151 in 2025-26, far below the historical average of 402 per year.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Police Department report that school resource officer activity led to 151 referrals to juvenile authorities during 2025-26. That is well below the historical average of 402 per year and nearly unchanged from the prior year's 152 referrals.
Why it matters
The decline reflects how calls involving schools are being resolved, with administrators initiating most referral-producing calls. The district's data also shows that a large majority of responding students feel safer with an officer on campus.
Lincoln police recorded 1,061 calls for service involving district schools in 2025-26, and 58% of referral-producing calls were initiated by administrators while law enforcement initiated 7%. The report does not identify what drove the change from historical levels.
The players
Lincoln Public Schools
The public school district serving Lincoln, Nebraska, which partners with local police on school resource officer programs.
Lincoln Police Department
The municipal police agency for Lincoln, Nebraska, which assigns school resource officers to district campuses.
The details
The annual report was presented to the Safe and Successful Kids Interlocal Board, covering referrals, a student perception survey of 9,485 respondents, suspension data, and officer training. Of the 2,507 secondary students who experienced at least one out-of-school suspension, the district has set a goal of reducing suspensions by 20% by 2029.
Timeline
2018: The annual SRO evaluation agreement between the city and school district was established.
2025-26 school year: The referral, survey, suspension, and training data period was reported.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: The report was presented to the Safe and Successful Kids Interlocal Board.
2026-27 school year: Two additional relief SRO officers are assigned for coverage.
2029: Target date for a 20% reduction in suspensions.
Season Trajectory
The 2025-26 report is produced under the annual SRO evaluation agreement set up in 2018 between the city and Lincoln Public Schools. The referral decline is reported within that continuing review cycle, which tracks referrals, surveys, suspensions, and officer training each year.
Families in Lincoln schools may see officer coverage change in the 2026-27 school year as two relief SRO officers are added. Parents can expect the district's suspension goals to shape discipline practices through 2029.
The takeaway
Lower referral numbers do not by themselves show how safe schools feel, so the survey results and suspension trends are worth tracking alongside the referral count. The district's 2029 suspension target gives a clear benchmark for measuring progress.
What happens next
The district's suspension reduction goal runs through 2029, and two additional relief SRO officers join coverage in the 2026-27 school year.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Secondary Education in Lincoln.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lincoln - KLIN - 1400 AM.
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