Elementary Schools in Sidney Public Schools

The Sidney Public Schools district in Nebraska is home to three elementary schools serving grades K-5: Central Elementary School, North Ward Elementary School, and South Ward Elementary School. While the district as a whole ranks 109th out of 182 districts in Nebraska, North Ward Elementary stands out as the strongest performer, consistently ranking higher in statewide school rankings and outpacing the district and state averages in key academic areas.

All three elementary schools in the district face challenges related to chronic absenteeism, with each reporting a 21.1% rate, significantly higher than the national average of 15%. Additionally, the district has a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, with free and reduced-price lunch recipient rates ranging from 31.84% at Central Elementary to 53.7% at South Ward Elementary. To address these socioeconomic factors, the district's per-student spending is higher than the state average, though the impact on student outcomes varies across the schools.

Despite the district-wide challenges, North Ward Elementary School emerges as a standout, with higher 3rd and 4th-grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a lower student-teacher ratio of 13.5 compared to the other schools. This suggests that North Ward may have effective teaching practices or resources that could be leveraged to improve performance at the other elementary schools in the Sidney Public Schools district.