Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Police Department are reporting continued progress in their school resource officer program, with referrals to juvenile authorities remaining substantially below historical levels.
The findings were presented Thursday evening to the Safe and Successful Kids Interlocal Board, which includes representatives of the Lincoln Board of Education and the City of Lincoln.
The annual report examines police activity in schools, student discipline, school safety perceptions and the effectiveness of the district’s school resource officer program.
Police Referrals Remain Well Below Historical Levels
Lincoln Police crime analyst Tricia Todd reported 1,061 calls for service involving LPS schools during the 2025-26 school year, compared with a pre-pandemic annual average of 1,310.
Of those calls, 151 resulted in referrals to juvenile authorities, compared with a historical average of 402 — a decrease of approximately 62%.
The latest figure is virtually unchanged from the previous school year’s 152 referrals.
The percentage of calls resulting in referrals was 14%, compared with 31% during the historical comparison period.
Administrators initiated 58% of calls that resulted in referrals, while law enforcement officers initiated 7%.
District officials say the findings indicate the program is succeeding in distinguishing routine school discipline from matters requiring law enforcement involvement.
Students Report Feeling Safer
Results from the district’s annual perception survey indicate strong student support for school resource officers.
Among 9,485 students who responded to a question about whether their schools were safer because of an SRO’s presence, 92% agreed or strongly agreed.
Additional survey findings included:
– 88% said they personally felt safer with an SRO on campus.
– 90% of students responding about an interaction with an SRO said they were treated fairly.
– 96% said the officer treated them with respect.
Dr. Dawn Massey, who presented the survey results, said favorable perceptions have generally increased over the past three years.
The survey findings reflect students’ reported perceptions and do not independently establish whether school safety incidents have decreased because of the officers.
LPS-LPD SRO Student Survey
Suspension Disparities Remain a Concern
Despite the positive findings involving school resource officers, district officials acknowledged continuing disparities in student discipline.
LPS Student Services Director Ryan Zabava reported that 2,507 secondary students, or 10.6% of the population measured, experienced at least one out-of-school suspension during 2025-26.
That compares with approximately 10% the previous school year.
Suspensions continue to disproportionately affect male students, Black students, Hispanic students, students identifying with two or more races, and students receiving special education services, English language services or free and reduced-price meals.
The district has established a goal of reducing suspensions by 20% by 2029.
During Thursday’s discussion, board members also raised questions about how the district’s training and intervention programs address disparities involving students with disabilities, English language learners and economically disadvantaged students.
Additional Officers and Training
The report also detailed ongoing efforts to improve the school resource officer program.
The 16 officers serving during 2025-26 had accumulated a combined 3,206 hours of training since beginning their SRO assignments.
Training topics included adolescent brain development, mental health, threat assessment, de-escalation and unbiased policing.
The department reported eight commendations and three complaints involving school resource officers during the school year. One complaint was classified as exonerated, while two resulted in warnings.
For 2026-27, two additional relief officers have been assigned to provide coverage when regularly assigned school resource officers are absent.
LPS-LPD SRO Duties
Recommendations Going Forward
District and police officials recommended continuing specialized professional development, increasing participation in school perception surveys, and evaluating recent changes to the resource officer and threat assessment programs.
The report is part of an annual evaluation process established under a 2018 agreement between the city and school district.
The full report, supporting information and a video recording of Thursday’s meeting are available through Lincoln Public Schools.