The new Lincoln Northwest High School (LNW), set to open for the 2022-23 school year, recently announced they will not be allowing seniors to attend the first year of its opening, leaving some students in disappointment. After only 41 seniors signed the paperwork to attend LNW next year, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) decided to limit enrollment to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. 

Lincoln High (LHS) Junior Ella Medina was one of the 41 students planning on attending the new high school in the fall. She says that she feels “pretty bummed” about the decision.

 “I was really set on going there, and so when I found out I couldn’t, it felt like I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “My mind was already made, but then I couldn’t make that choice.”

LNW will include a health sciences focus program through a partnership with Bryan Health. This opportunity especially, is one that Medina feels she will be missing out on greatly. 

“Currently, I hope to go into occupational therapy as a career. Being a part of the Bryan Health Program would’ve allowed me to get a head start on those college classes, and get credit for a cheaper price,” Medina said. “It also would’ve helped me solidify my options in that career path by putting me in that environment before college.”

Additionally, Medina had been looking forward to having an exciting and novel experience. 

“I just wanted to try something new and help build a new show choir and theatre program,” she said. 

Medina says that the news was extra disappointing due to the way she was informed about it. 

“I actually never received an email from LNW, and I had to find out through friends and the news,” Medina said.

She says the news was first broken to her over text by her freshman friend who was also planning on transferring to LNW. Medina says she felt confused as to why she wasn’t formally informed, considering the situation directly pertained to her.

Medina feels the news was more difficult for her due to the fact that she had finally gotten her mind set on transferring. 

 “It put me in a place where I was ready to leave my current high school, and now I feel ‘stuck’ there in a sense,” she said.

Although there were some downsides of leaving the school she was familiar with, Medina still feels that she will be missing out on many advantageous experiences. 

“I was really nervous to leave all my friends but I was hopeful that I would have more opportunities at a new and smaller school,” she said. 

Medina’s attitude towards the situation represents the feelings of many other students who were hoping to attend the new school in the fall. Decisions like that are difficult ones for LPS to make, knowing these are the feelings of their students. However, it is the duty of our school system to always make choices as to what is logical, and what will be more beneficial for all in the grand scheme of things.