Nearly One in Four Nebraska Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment in Nebraska more than doubled over 22 years, adding nearly 45,000 students. In 2026, the growth reversed.
Data-Driven Education Journalism for the Cornhusker State
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Hispanic enrollment in Nebraska more than doubled over 22 years, adding nearly 45,000 students. In 2026, the growth reversed.
Bennington Public Schools has grown every single year for 21 consecutive years, adding 3,942 students and climbing from 68th to 12th in statewide rankings.
Nebraska kindergarten enrollment fell to 21,275 in 2025-26, essentially matching the 2005 trough after a four-year decline. Grade 12 hit a record 26,008.
OPS was 46% white in 2005. It was 20.3% in 2025-26. Hispanic students now outnumber white students two to one in Nebraska's largest district.
Nebraska hit an all-time enrollment high of 330,136 in 2025. Then 1,988 students disappeared, driven by losses in both white and Hispanic enrollment.
NDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing Nebraska's first non-pandemic enrollment decline in 20 years.