SIDNEY, Neb. — 38 Sidney graduates are back working in the classrooms and offices of Sidney Public Schools this year, choosing to return to the district that once educated them.

“Since my arrival in Sidney, I have seen the Raider Way lived out every single day," Superintendent Andrew Farber said. "Students helping students, staff working together to find positive solutions to difficult challenges, and community members stepping up to ensure our kids have every opportunity to succeed both in school and in life."

Several of the returning alumni said the decision to come back was about giving back to the same community that shaped them.

Beka Neustel, a 2021 graduate, now teaches alongside her mother, a longtime Sidney educator. “Sidney Public Schools shaped me into who I am today, and I wanted a chance to give back to the community that poured into me,” Neustel said. 

For some, the path back to Sidney was unexpected. Caleb Sweetser, Class of 2001, was completing his teacher certification when he received a surprise phone call offering him a job in Sidney. “A week later, I accepted,” he said. “I am proud of Sidney’s students, community and the tradition here.”

Others, like Central and West Elementary Principal Bryan Schoening, Class of 2009, said they knew early on they wanted to return. “From before high school graduation, I hoped to earn a teaching degree and come back to Sidney,” he said.

Curriculum Director Tess Plummer (Class of 2004), high school math teacher Seth Studnicka (Class of 2019), teacher and former school board member Tonya Lewis (St. Pat's Class of 1991), and teacher Jachob Wiedeburg (Class of 2015) are also among those who chose to return. Each pointed to the pull of family, community and the chance to make an impact on local students as reasons for their decision.

Information for this story was provided by Donna Wiedeburg / Sidney Public Schools.