Lincoln continues to grow, has the lowest unemployment rate in 15 years and a violent crime rate half that of cities of comparable size, but weaknesses — including unprecedented concentrations of extreme poverty — continue to stymie the city’s progress.
Those were among the highlights from the latest Vital Signs, a report by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center about Lincoln, presented to more than 1,000 people who gathered at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday morning to mark the next phase of the Prosper Lincoln initiative.
“My question for you, as we stare down 2020, is what will you do, what will you make happen?†said Nancy Shank, associate director of the public policy center.
The summit highlighted the accomplishments of the community initiative’s work the past four years and added new focus areas. Originally, the initiative focused its goals on three areas: early childhood, employment skills and innovation.
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Going forward, those focus areas will include: early childhood, innovative workplace, affordable housing, strong neighborhoods and civic investment.
One of the goals of the first phase of the initiative was to find ways to embed some of the work being done into existing agencies and organizations.
As part of that, Anne Brandt, a gifted facilitator at Lincoln Public Schools, will head a new Lincoln Office for Early Childhood Education, a position funded by Harbor of Dreams Foundation. She’ll be doing work similar to Michelle Suarez, who headed the early childhood arm of Prosper Lincoln for the past four years but is moving to Houston.
A new part-time position with Lincoln City Libraries, filled by Teagan Earhart, will continue work on the Read Aloud Lincoln initiative begun by Mary Reiman and Nancy Larimer to encourage adults to read to children at least 15 minutes a day.
Moving forward, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce will be an important leader in innovation, workforce development and recruitment, said Barb Bartle, president of the Lincoln Community Foundation and one of the chairs of Prosper Lincoln.
Bryan Seck, director of workforce development for the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, will continue his work bringing workforce development and potential employers together, and Rich Claussen will continue his work on innovation.
As part of that, Claussen will head a new digital inclusion task force working to make broadband internet access available to everyone in Lincoln within five years.
Among the challenges pointed out in the latest Vital Signs report was the need for quality — and affordable — early childhood education for all children, since 75% of Lincoln’s children ages up to 5 years have parents in the workforce.
While Lincoln’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and jobs created by new businesses have jumped 24% in the last decade, most families haven’t regained pre-Great Recession income levels, according to the report.
Lincoln’s population has grown by 33,391 residents, or 13%, in the last decade, and the city is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. And more than half of Lincoln’s adults have post-secondary degrees.
But the number of students enrolled in the federal free- and reduced-lunch program increased 25% in the last decade, and more than 9,000 children live in poverty.
Lincoln has seven neighborhoods with more than 40% of residents living in poverty, defined as extreme poverty neighborhoods. Twenty years ago, none of Lincoln’s neighborhoods fell into that census category.
Changing that requires that everyone — businesses, individuals, nonprofits and foundations — step up.
“For everyone to prosper in Lincoln we need to lean in and help each other,†Bartle said.
Education reporter Margaret Reist's memorable stories from 2019
Margaret Reist's most memorable: North Bend flooding
This tells the story of how the school became the town’s hub after floodwaters inundated the rest of the town, and how the people of North Bend worked together to evacuate as floodwaters encroached then recover once the waters receded. There were so many amazing stories from the historic floods, but I liked how this showed the central role schools play in a town, and how everybody pulls together in times of crisis.
Margaret Reist's most memorable: Deputy Woody retires
Longtime Lancaster Sheriff’s Deputy William Woodruff got to know a generation of college kids and other young adults who were looking for sustenance after the bars closed when he was working security at Amigos, and he was a familiar face working Husker football games during his 47 years as a Lancaster County sheriff’s deputy. I had fun telling the story of the well-known and well-liked deputy and his many adventures wearing a badge.
Margaret Reist's most memorable: New high school sites
The land Lincoln Public Schools will purchase for two new high schools gives Lincoln residents an idea of how the latest bond issue resolution would change the face of Lincoln’s schools. Voters will decide on that $290 million bond issue Feb. 11, and the highs schools are just part of it – but a big part.
Margaret Reist's most memorable: Refugee resettlement decision
Changes at the federal level impact Lincoln’s – and the state’s – record as a welcoming resettlement community for refugees. The numbers have plummeted in the past couple of years, and if the governor decides not to provide consent to allow refugees in Nebraska, resettlement could essentially stop, affecting the state’s economy, as well as families hoping to have loved ones join them.
Margaret Reist's most memorable: Tom Casady's fingerprints
Tom Casady’s career in law enforcement spanned 45 years and included heading both the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln Police Department. Before covering schools, I covered police and courts, and I covered many of the high profile, life-changing cases he oversaw as a law enforcement leader. The story, in addition to a trip down memory lane, gave me a unique perspective on the impact and influence he had on the city and local law enforcement.