The Iowa Metropolis Neighborhood College District (ICCSD) confronted a whirlwind of challenges through the COVID-19 pandemic, from scholar security to retention and creating a way of normalcy.
On the forefront of that battle was then-interim superintendent, Matt Degner
He formally turned full-time superintendent in January 2021, following Steve Murley’s resignation. And now, 5 years into his tenure, Degner’s management of considered one of Iowa’s largest districts and his eye for innovation has earned him Ok-12 Dive’s Nationwide Superintendent of the 12 months award.
The Dive Awards, handed out by an internet publication that honors Ok-12 directors and districts throughout the U.S., bases its award on excellence in “scholar achievement, whole-child programming, postsecondary pathways, and neighborhood engagement.”
The Dive Awards additionally acknowledge a District of the 12 months and Principal of the 12 months.
Matt Degner, superintendent of the Iowa Metropolis Neighborhood College District (ICCSD), poses for a photograph, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, outdoors the district’s Academic Companies Middle (ESC) at 1725 North Dodge Avenue in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa.
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The Dive Award honor comes after Degner landed a spot on Training Insider’s “Prime 10 College District Superintendents” in October.
Dive cited Degner’s pandemic navigation, boosting the district’s aggressive edge amid Academic Financial savings Accounts (ESAs) and college alternative vouchers, and increasing preschool and postsecondary alternatives. Degner oversees Iowa’s second-largest district, behind Des Moines Public Colleges, with greater than 14,000 college students at 4 excessive colleges, 20 elementary colleges, and three center colleges.
“He’ll all the time credit score the workforce round him, because it takes all of us to do what we’re doing,” mentioned Kristin Pedersen, the district’s govt director of neighborhood relations, in a information launch.
Reversing open enrollment losses by increasing pre-k
The Iowa Metropolis Neighborhood College District’s enrollment declined this 12 months to 14,392, down 189 college students from the 12 months earlier than, although enrollment has grown by 2 % since 2020.
The district’s strategy? Dealing with declining enrollment head-on with an “aggressive enrollment marketing campaign.”
“We have been losers on the open enrollment finish,” Degner mentioned within the information launch. “We have been shedding college students selecting to go to different college districts. And now, we truly acquire on that quantity, the place we have now extra college students coming into our district than leaving.”
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The community-wide marketing campaign features a strong preschool program with full-day choices in every of its 20 elementary colleges, regardless of the state solely funding half-day pre-Ok. The district affords free half-day preschool in any respect elementary colleges and afternoon classes at some. Many college students can attend full-day preschool free of charge by qualifying for the Shared Visions Preschool program.
“We’re speaking about it via the lens of capturing households and getting an awesome first expertise with our district after which selecting to stick with us,” Degner mentioned.
Iowa Metropolis Neighborhood College District Superintendent Matt Degner and President of Junior Achievement of Jap Iowa Christine Landa, minimize a ribbon on the Dream Accelerator Jan. 15, 2026 on the district Academic Companies Middle in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa.
Increasing postsecondary and community-focused mindset
The district not too long ago celebrated the opening of its Middle for Innovation to strengthen its neighborhood connection and scholar outcomes.
The Middle for Innovation homes new Kirkwood Profession Academy school rooms, which “deliver twin credit score profession cadence immediately on web site.”
Notably, the Middle for Innovation encompasses a distinctive partnership with nonprofit Junior Achievement of Jap Iowa for the second-of-its-kind Dream Accelerator. The Dream Accelerator is a “hands-on, immersive profession exploration expertise” that helps develop monetary literacy, entrepreneurship, and career-readiness expertise.
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Degner has been with the Iowa Metropolis college district since 2013, beforehand serving as assistant superintendent and principal of Southeast Junior Excessive.
His connections run deep: two of his youngsters are at present enrolled within the district, and one other is an ICCSD graduate. His spouse, Dr. Kate Degner, is a district trainer and an adjunct professor on the College of Iowa.
“Matt did plenty of that rebuilding of that neighborhood relationship by going out to occasions, whether or not that be building-level PTO conferences or communitywide occasions,” ICCSD Board of Administrators President Ruthina Malone mentioned in information launch. “Individuals noticed him extra and have been capable of speak to him extra about a few of the issues that he was doing inside the district together with his employees.”
Jessica Rish is an leisure, eating and training reporter for the Iowa Metropolis Press-Citizen. She may be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, previously often called Twitter, @rishjessica_
This text initially appeared on Iowa Metropolis Press-Citizen: Iowa Metropolis’s Matt Degner is Nationwide Superintendent of the 12 months