MUSCATINE, Iowa – Since being named Iowa State Superintendent of the Year for 2000-01 by the School Administrators of Iowa, Muscatine Community School District Superintendent Tom Williams has been looking for a new challenge.

He has been a finalist in at least two superintendent searches in other districts since then, and this year, he made it to the top of the list.

Williams, who has been with Muscatine for 15 years, takes over a new superintendent position July 1, in the Kirkwood, Mo., Community School District which is similar in size to Muscatine.

But he knows there will be some major differences.

“There is no other community like this in terms of the way we can leverage private and public funds to get things done,” said Williams, referring to the generosity and devotion successful area residents display toward the District.

Muscatine is home to a number of national and international corporations as well as successful, smaller businesses that were founded here and are still operated by local owners.

“All these people have a vested interest in making this a great community, and they put much of their own money into it,” said Williams.

Williams noted a few examples of projects that received funding from the public, private and business sector, including:

n The renovation and expansion of Muscatine High School, made possible in part, by a grant from Muscatine resident Stan Howe.

n The new $3.5 million agricultural learning center, scheduled to open this spring, is the result of collaboration among the District, Muscatine Community College and the Friends of the FFA, as well as donations from area businesses and individuals.

n An estimated $800,000 synthetic-turf sports facility established in 2005 at Muscatine High School received $775,000 in donations from local foundations and businesses including the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, HNI Charitable Foundation, Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, Kent/Stein Foundation and the Muscatine Booster Club.

Williams also credits the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust with providing the District with funding to hire two new full-time orchestra teachers and a full-time band teacher over the past four years.

“When other districts are reducing staff, we were able to add positions thanks to the Charitable Trust and other community benefactors,” he said.

His reflections on his years here are positive, but Williams said he’s ready to take on a new set of challenges.

“I got comfortable in Muscatine,” said Williams. “I encourage people to push themselves and go outside their comfort level and I need that, too.”

One challenge that will follow Williams to Missouri is meeting the criteria spelled out in the No Child Left Behind legislation. While he doesn’t always agree with the sanctions the legislation imposes on schools that don’t meet its requirements, Williams says there have been some distinct rewards.

Striving to bring all students up to a higher level of achievement makes educators more aware of the fact that not all groups of students are achieving at the same rate.

“The data is driving the decision-making and this is resulting in significant improvement in student achievement,” said Williams. “It forces us to hold ourselves more accountable and report to the community. For that, it’s been good for us.”

When Williams and his wife, Chris, moved to Muscatine, their daughter McKinsie was 7, son Nick was 5, and son Nate was 3-months-old. Their youngest child, daughter Kaylee, was born at Unity Hospital in Muscatine in 1998.

Now Nick, a sophomore at the University of Iowa, plans to enter the U.S. Army and serve in Afghanistan.  Nick, who is majoring in business, is also a member of the Iowa National Guard, said Tom, but his son wants to experience the same training as the men he hopes to lead one day.

“That’s why he joined the Guard,” said Tom. “He wants to get training in advanced infantry school. A lot of officers don’t go through those programs as part of their officer training.”

McKinsie is a senior at the University of Iowa and is majoring in communications.

“She’s looking for a job in marketing, human resources or sales,” said Tom.

Williams said his two youngest children are at a good age to relocate to new schools. Kaylee is a fifth-grader and Nate is a sophomore.

Williams’ eagerness to start over in a new community is evident, but so is his fondness for Muscatine.

“We’ve made a lot of good friends here,” he said. “It will be hard to leave.”