Omaha Public Schools has moved to the next chapter of the changing face of education in the metro. On Monday, the board adopted a new student assignment plan that has wiped away all previous borders when it comes to choosing a school among the 11 Douglas and Sarpy County school districts.

There are still more questions than answers though. One thing seems clear, a lot more students will be riding buses than in the past decade.

Here's some of what gives a student priority? For OPS, if you have brothers or sisters going to a school that's a leg up. The same if you're on free or reduced lunch. That move would benefit the economic diversity of the school. Omaha high schools have been doing this for awhile now.

By next school year, all children will be able to go to another school district altogether --- which could mean a very long bus ride. Will parents of elementary students want to do that?

"Absolutely," says Penny Sophir, member of the OPS and Learning Community board, "We've been going into some of the schools and have heard from some of the parents who are very happy to get their children to other parts of town. Some people just don't get out of the district where they live and they're interested in seeing what goes on in other parts of town."

Already, some schools seem out of the question for any new transfer students among the learning community. For example, Ashland Park-Robbins in South Omaha is over capacity by close to 400 students right now.

The district's are talking when it comes to transportation costs and looking for ways to reduce them. Consider this, students from South Sarpy can now go to Omaha North or Belleuve West student can go to Elkhorn High now or countless other possibilities. It's a long and costly way for a student to travel.

Sophir says bigger cities like Chicago work this way and they manage OK. We'll begin to get a better picture of all the plans and how they'll work when the Learning Community votes in December.