Sidney Public School announces Superintendent candidates

SIDNEY — Four potential superintendent candidates for the Sidney Public School District, including its curriculum director and the current Richland County Superintendent of Schools, have been announced.

A post on the district's Facebook page announced the four candidates:

• Thom Barnhart, the Curriculum Director for Sidney Public Schools for the past 13 years, previously served as the school district's high school guidance counselor for 17 years. 
  
  
• Doug Pfau, the Superintendent of the Broadview School District for two years, previously served as the Assistant Superintendent at Nome Public Schools in Nome, Alaska, for two years. 
• Dan Schmidt, the Superintendent of Niobrara County School District in Lusk, Wyoming, for two years, previously served as the Superintendent of the Poplar School District for six years. 
• Timothy Tharp, the Richland County Superintendent of Schools for three years, previously served as the half-time Superintendent of Schools for the Golva School District in Golva, North Dakota, for two years. 

Sidney School District Board clerk Tracy Click said there were initially six candidates, but the candidate pool was narrowed down to the four.

The candidates will interview with the Sidney Public Schools Board of Trustees in livestreamed sessions on the district's Facebook page: Pfau at 10 a.m. and Barnhart at 2 p.m. Wednesday; Tharp at 10 a.m. and Schmidt at 2 p.m. Thursday. They will also meet with administrative staff and tour school buildings.

Meet and greets with staff and the community will be held at the Sidney High School library for Barnhart and Pfau on March 25 and for Schmidt and Tharp on March 26 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Then, the trustees will meet Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to consider and possibly hire the superintendent for the 2026-27 school year.

The resignation of current Superintendent Brent Sukut was accepted at the board's February meeting. He had informed the board late last year that he would likely not return next year.