Education

Children residing in base housing attend Bellevue Public Schools the fourth largest school district in Nebraska. Three elementary schools are located on base and run by BPS.

Other local school districts include:

• Papillion/LaVista School District
• Omaha Public Schools
• Plattsmouth Community Schools
• Ralston Public Schools
• Westside Community School District
• Millard Public Schools

Schools in the surrounding area educate children in grades kindergarten through 12, offering the same high level of educational quality. There are six school districts serving the area in addition to the Bellevue Public Schools: Papillion/LaVista School District, Omaha Public Schools, Plattsmouth Community Schools, Ralston Public Schools, South Sarpy School District and Millard Public Schools. Additionally, some families choose to live 20-30 miles from the base, so their children might be in the school districts of Council Bluffs or Glenwood Iowa, Murray, Springfield, or Gretna Nebraska.

Most children residing in base housing attend Bellevue Public Schools, the fourth largest school district in Nebraska. The district operates 15 elementary schools (3 in Capehart housing), 3 middle schools and 2 high schools.

Offutt AFB has a very robust home-schooling community. With various options and support, home school students can continue to thrive while stationed at Offutt AFB. Nebraska Homeschool and the Omaha Homeschool Learning center are just two of our local resources in addition to social media pages on Facebook for HOME (Homeschooling in the Omaha Metro for Everyone) and Offutt Homeschool Families.

For questions concerning Nebraska's home school laws please refer to the Home Educator Network homepage with Nebraska Homeschool, the Nebraska Department of Education website or Home School Legal Defense Association. You may also want to contact the School Liaison via e-mail at: 55FSS.FSY.SchoolLiaison@us.af.mil

The Education and Training Center provides educational opportunities to assigned active duty military members, family members, and Department of Defense civilian employees. Their educational objective is to provide courses and degree programs that serve the interests of the United States Air Force as well as the career and post-retirement needs of military and civilian personnel. Their training objective is to provide guidance and expertise to all assigned military units in the conducting of on-the-job training programs. Air Force counselors are available to assist military personnel in planning educational programs and formulating vocational goals. There are 25 vocational, junior colleges, colleges and universities in the Omaha metropolitan area with many academic programs available. The Education and Training Center provides the following services:

• Education advisors assist with Community College of the Air Force registration and program planning.
• Veterans Affairs representatives are available to explain current programs and initiate requisite paperwork.
• Complete testing facilities are available, to include College Level Examination Program, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support and other specialized tests.
• In addition other testing is provided in career development, promotions and other ancillary testing services.
• Information pertaining to tuition assistance financial aid is available to all personnel.

The School Liaison Program (SLP) at Offutt AFB is available to assist and advocate for military families for all their educational needs for PreK through 12^th grade for public, private, parochial and home-schooling needs.

School liaisons can provide:

• Local School Navigation – Public, Private, Parochial and Home School
• Transition Support – Inbound and outbound support, PCS, TDY, Elementary-Middle-High School transition support
• Deployment Support – Educator awareness, Support Groups, MFLCs, Resources
• College and Career Readiness – Resources, Scholarship opportunities
• Grant Resources & Scholarships – Impact Aid
• School District Professional Development & Parent Workshops
• Education Community Partnerships – Local and State partnerships/li>
• Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission – MIC3

There are over 20 public school districts located in the Omaha metro area as well as in Council Bluffs and Glenwood Iowa.   The two largest districts educating our military youth are Bellevue Public Schools and Papillion LaVista Community Schools.   These districts fall under the guidance of the Nebraska Department of Education – there are no DoD Schools in the state of Nebraska. We are not a school choice state, your district is determined by your address although you have a chance to Option Enroll in different districts when there is space availability. School district boundaries do not align with city boundaries, please contact the School Liaison Officer (SLO) if you have a question about which district you will attend.

Regardless of where you enroll, Nebraska law requires that all students entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or seventh grade have a physical exam prior to the start of the school year. Exams must have been completed within the last six months of the first day of school (or day of enrollment for new families). Physical exams are also required for students transferring into any grade level from schools outside of the state. 

Public School Districts

Bellevue Public Schools :  Bellevue Public Schools is proud to serve the educational needs of the Bellevue/Offutt Community. The BPS District has just over 10,000 students; there are 2 high schools, 3 middle schools, and 15 elementary schools in the BPS District serving PK-12th grade. The district is accredited by the state of Nebraska and AdvancED, a global accreditation agency. Bellevue provides a comprehensive education program designed to meet the needs of all students. The district-guided, teacher-written curriculum is aligned with Nebraska state standards. Extensive extra-curricular activities provide students with multiple opportunities to participate. Each year Bellevue students earn state and national recognition in such diverse fields as engineering, science, communication arts, vocal music, band, JROTC, industrial arts, and athletics.(Important note: Bellevue Public Schools is the district servicing our base housing area, Rising View, www.risingview.com )www.bellevuepublicschools.org  
2600 Arboretum Drive, Bellevue, NE  68005
Phone: 402-293-4000. 

Papillion LaVista Community Schools: At Papillion La Vista Community Schools (PLCS), our purpose remains steadfast in preparing students for a successful transition into the next phase of her or his life. A strong team of staff, parents and community members are committed in that purpose and to being known for greatness. Located just south of Omaha, residents with the PLCS benefit from a small town atmosphere while still having all of the conveniences of a metropolitan area. In 2010, the District received accreditation from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission. This is a prestigious honor held by only select districts throughout the country.  Papillion La Vista Community Schools prides itself on meeting the individual needs of all students through a wide range of opportunities provided through an extensive co-curricular and extracurricular program. Serving over 12,000 students, PLCS is the fourth largest district in Nebraska.
www.plcschools.org
420 S. Washington St., Papillion, NE  68046 
Phone: 402-537-6200

Special Education

All public-school districts in the area have extensive special education programs. Please contact the Offutt School Liaison at 402-232-4231 or email 55FSS.FSY.SchoolLiaison@us.af.mil to get connected with appropriate district and special education department.

Parochial and Private Schools

Contact the Offutt School Liaison Officer at 402-232-4231 or email 55FSS.FSY.SchoolLiaison@us.af.mil  for information on private and parochial schools servicing military children in the Omaha Metro area.