The 2026-27 school year is underway in Bellevue Public Schools, bringing dozens of new educators to the district, a nearly $2.9 million federal grant for school improvements, and a new theme centered on attendance, engagement, and pride.
This year, BPS is embracing Ready. Present. Proud. — Champion Mentality, a message district leaders say emphasizes the role every student plays in making the school year successful.
Being “Ready” means preparing for each school day and making attendance a priority, while being “Present” focuses on showing up, engaging and taking advantage of opportunities to learn. Being “Proud” encourages students to recognize the importance of their commitment to education, personal growth and one another.
The district welcomed 79 new certified staff members for the 2026-27 school year, including a mix of experienced educators and those beginning their teaching careers.
Of the 79 new certified staff members, 32 have at least three years of experience, while 37 are new to the profession. The new hires also include a significant number with previous connections to Bellevue Public Schools: 22 are BPS graduates and 16 completed their student teaching experience in the district.
In all, BPS has hired 164 certified and classified staff members for the 2026-27 school year.
The district continues to have openings, including for a school psychologist and numerous classified positions such as paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, and food service employees. Current openings and applications are available through the Bellevue Public Schools website.
Another major development this year will bring improvements to a dozen district schools.
Bellevue Public Schools has received a $2,895,754 Military-Connected Schools Construction, Modernization and Facilities Maintenance Program grant from the Department of War Educational Activities (DoWEA).
The grant will focus on four areas: life safety systems, ADA accessibility, health compliance, and facility repairs. Twelve BPS schools qualified for improvements through the program.
The five-year grant begins in October 2026, although district officials anticipate completing all of the projects within three years.
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rippe credited BPS employees with helping the district get the new school year off to a strong start.
“It has been an incredible start to the school year because of the passion, dedication, and teamwork of TeamBPS,” Rippe said. “We are Ready. Present. Proud., bringing joy and inspiration to our students every day with a Champion Mentality.”
“Bellevue Public Schools is a special place—and no one does it better than TeamBPS!”
Among the new educators joining BPS this year are Joe Devlin, a science teacher at Bellevue East High School, and Courtney Mogensen, a kindergarten teacher at Peter Sarpy Elementary.
Devlin is teaching Physical Science and Chemistry at Bellevue East after spending the previous five years at Benson High School in Omaha Public Schools. A 2021 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Devlin said becoming part of the Bellevue community is one of the things he is most looking forward to this year.
“There is a lot this year that I am looking forward to. However, I am most excited about becoming part of the Bellevue Community,” Devlin said. “I am excited that I have the opportunity to learn more about my students, parents, community partners, and what makes Bellevue thrive.”
His introduction to the community began even before classes started through his work with the Bellevue East football team.
“I have already learned so much from working over the summer with the football team and in the first few weeks of school,” he said.
For Devlin, the move to BPS also offered a combination he found attractive professionally and personally.
“The ‘small town’ community feel, where staff, students, and families work together is something that I find especially important in education,” he said. “BPS has the resources, stability, and forward thinking of a larger district and is truly focused on being Champions for Children.”
Bellevue is also where Devlin and his wife hope to establish long-term roots with their daughter while living closer to both of their families.
At Peter Sarpy Elementary, Mogensen is beginning her first year as a kindergarten teacher, but she was already familiar with Bellevue Public Schools before joining the district’s certified staff.
Mogensen earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Peru State College and completed practicums and her student teaching experience in BPS. She is now pursuing a master’s degree through the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s CADRE program.
“As a first-year kindergarten teacher, I am most looking forward to getting to know my students and watching them grow throughout the year,” Mogensen said. “Kindergarten is such a special time of learning and discovery, and I am excited to create a classroom where students feel safe, loved, and excited to come to school each day.”
For Mogensen, those first-year experiences will include watching students reach some of their earliest educational milestones.
“I am especially looking forward to celebrating all of the little milestones that make kindergarten so memorable,” she said.
Her path from student teacher to full-time BPS educator also reflects one of the trends among this year’s new hires. Sixteen of the district’s 79 new certified staff members previously completed their student teaching in Bellevue Public Schools.
Mogensen said those experiences helped convince her that Bellevue was where she wanted to begin her career.
“I was drawn to Bellevue Public Schools because of the strong sense of community and the district’s commitment to supporting both students and teachers,” she said. “After completing my practicums and student teaching in Bellevue, I knew that this was a community where I wanted to begin my teaching career.”
“I felt welcomed and supported during my time as a student teacher, and I am so excited to now officially be a part of TeamBPS.”
While district leaders are optimistic about the year ahead, they also point to uncertainty at the state level as a continuing challenge. BPS officials said changes in state law and actions by the Nebraska Legislature could create additional financial and operational challenges for school districts depending on the outcomes of future legislative sessions.
For now, however, the focus is on the students already back in Bellevue classrooms.
With 79 new certified staff members, investments planned at 12 schools, and educators like Devlin and Mogensen beginning new chapters in Bellevue, BPS is starting the 2026-27 school year with its new message front and center: Ready. Present. Proud. — Champion Mentality.
