Nelson Mandela Elementary, a free private school opening in Omaha

[guno]

On a sunny fall afternoon, Susan Toohey and a soccer coach eyeballed a muddy field behind the former Blessed Sacrament Church and School and talked about the best way to lay out fields for youngsters.

Behind them, a demolition crew hauled the last debris out of the former church sanctuary, now cleared for its new life as a gym.

The planning, the demolition, the chain-link fence around the site, all are part of the groundwork for the Lozier Foundation’s plans to open a new private — and privately funded — school in August.


Nelson Mandela Elementary a free private school opening in 2015 aims to offer more choice in north Omaha - Omaha.com OMAHA METRO

 

[Moonglow]

Oh lawdy no! Them crackas are gonna protest against the school name...

 

[Rotagilla]

now we name schools after anti white, convicted terrorists. Great.

A day of reckoning approaches.

 

[guno]

Toohey said naming the school for the anti-apartheid leader and former South African president offers a more universal appeal than trying to pick one local figure.

Mandela, Lozier said, not only advocated education and its power to spark change but also modeled resilience. “His life story is just such a valuable one to share with north Omaha kids,” she said.


Several former parishioners said they’re pleased with what they see so far.

Larry Ziska, who was married at the church in 1963 and has been involved ever since, said most are thankful the building is being rehabbed for a school.

“I think it’ll be good for the neighborhood,” he said.

 

[Capstone]

A feel-good story designed to blur the lines between public and private schooling. Open enough "free" private schools and funding for nearby public schools becomes fair game for the chopping block. Name the poorly funded and barely regulated private schools after notable ethnic heroes and attacking the men responsible for their construction becomes immediately 'racist'.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

now we name schools after anti white, convicted terrorists. Great.

A day of reckoning approaches.

In a fascist state being a terrorist isn't all that bad.