‘The teacher shortage is real’ in rural Nebraska, but not at Raymond Central

RAYMOND, Neb. — About 30 minutes outside of Lincoln, Raymond Central Public Schools is bucking the nationwide teacher shortage trend.

The rural district of about 700 students is adding six teachers for the upcoming school year, and several other teachers are being promoted from within.

Finding and keeping teachers in rural Nebraska is not easy.

“The teacher shortage is real, and the data supports that,” said Bryon Hanson, superintendent of Raymond Central.

But Hanson has found a way to make it work.

“For us, we need to know what our story is, and we can’t be afraid to tell it,” he said. “And the teachers that want that are going to be a good fit for us and they’re going to stay here for a long time.”

Raymond Central recruits candidates from teaching programs at nearby universities.

Then Hanson said they build a sense of belonging, investing in the whole person.

Part of the draw to Raymond is the ability to form connections beyond the classroom.

“I came from a small district when I went to high school, went to a smaller school for college and just loved the fact it was a small community, and that’s what I wanted to stay in,” said Celia Newman, a math teacher at Raymond Central. “When I came out here 11 years ago, it was just fantastic. Like, I got to know all the kids, whether they were in my class or not which made it feel really homey and like a family.”

The district’s success is gaining attention and shows how rural schools can thrive when they value educators creatively.

“The old days of interviewing teachers and having a candidate pool of eight to 10 and them trying to sell themselves to you, those days are over.” Hanson said, “When we’re interviewing teachers, we are selling what we have to offer to them.”

He said it’s not about just filling positions; it’s about planting roots and helping educators grow where they’re needed most.

“We worked really hard to know who we are, so we know who we are and we know what we can offer, and we market that,” Hanson said.