The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Catlin Magnet Center
Catlin Magnet Center serves preschool through fifth grade as a regular public school within Omaha Public Schools. The school’s enrollment is small compared to many elementary buildings in the district, and it draws from its neighborhood in the western part of Omaha. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with a composition that includes a substantial share of white students, a sizable Hispanic population, and smaller numbers of students who identify as Black, two or more races, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available in the records reviewed. A parent who wants a clear picture of the school’s support for those groups may want to ask the school directly.
State testing results provide the most important piece of information a family needs to evaluate this school. For the most recent assessment year, Catlin Magnet Center reported a proficiency rate of zero percent in math at grades three, four, and five. The same result appears in English language arts at all three tested grade levels and in science at grade five. A rate of zero percent is a very low outcome. The school’s multi-year trend data, which covers a five-year window for ELA and math and a four-year window for science, shows that prior years produced positive proficiency rates. The most recent year’s reported result is consistent with a pattern of decline. State testing data was available for all tested subjects and grades. Against other districts in Douglas County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent considering Catlin Magnet Center should treat this as a serious soft spot and likely will want to follow up with school leadership to understand what is happening in the classroom and what supports are in place.
Because the school serves elementary grades only, there is no graduation rate to report. Course access data, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and attendance figures were also absent from the information provided. The school is not a charter school, and its magnet designation status was not specified.
The school sits in Omaha, Nebraska’s largest city and the seat of Douglas County. Omaha is a major economic hub anchored by four Fortune 500 headquarters, a cluster of large employers in banking, engineering, agriculture, and logistics, and a metropolitan economy with a substantial GDP. The city’s built environment is largely car-dependent suburban-style development outside a walkable downtown core that includes the Old Market district, the RiverFront urban parkland, and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. Population growth has been modest in recent years. Housing values in the zip code that serves the school are above the state benchmark, and rents are slightly above the level that would make renting substantially cheaper than a mortgage at current interest rates. A family moving into the area for work at one of the large employers should expect a competitive housing market.
Catlin Magnet Center is part of Omaha Public Schools. The district recently launched a district-wide literacy initiative called Moonshot, which commits to having all students reading on grade level by 2030 and incorporates the Science of Reading and structured literacy into the curriculum across elementary grades. That initiative is embedded in the district’s strategic plan through 2030, meaning the school will operate within this sustained pedagogical shift. A parent should weigh that district-level commitment against the school’s current testing profile, which suggests that whatever reading instruction was in place before the Moonshot launch has not yet produced the intended results.
In short, Catlin Magnet Center is a small, diverse elementary school in a strong regional economy with a district-wide push to improve early literacy. The school’s state test results are very weak across all subjects and grades, and its position relative to other Douglas County districts is in the bottom quartile. The housing market in the area is above the state average. A parent should plan to ask pointed questions about instruction, intervention, and the school’s plan for turning around academic performance before making a decision.
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