By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
SIGOURNEY – Nathan Wood, a former Sigourney teacher and the current chief administrator of Great Prairie AEA, has been hired as the new Sigourney Community School District superintendent. Wood graduated from Sigourney in 2003 and began his education career at the school, working as a special ed and junior high science teacher. He later worked as the elementary’s School Administration Manager. Wood left Sigourney in 2011, when he was hired as the Pekin high school principal. In 2013, Wood was hired by Great Prairie AEA. He was named the agency’s chief administrator in 2023. In 2024, Wood was named Iowa’s Workplace Top Executive Leader. He also serves on the Rural Schools of Iowa executive board and the School Administrators of Iowa Representative Council.
The Sigourney School Board approved hiring Wood through a sharing agreement with Great Prairie during their Feb. 11 board meeting. Wood will take over the position of current superintendent Kevin Hatfield, who plans to retire in June. Under the sharing agreement, Wood will spend 60% of his time at the AEA, with the remaining 40% or two days spent at Sigourney. Wood explained to the News-Review that the AEA had been looking at ways to share costs by partnering with local school districts. He said that, as a Sigourney resident whose children attend the school, Sigourney was the school that made the most sense to him.
“I told some people, during the interview process, if it wasn’t Sigourney, I really wasn’t looking to become a superintendent. But it was Sigourney and I felt like that was the right place for me to be,” said Wood.
“Nathan has the experience and qualifications to guide our district forward,” said School Board President Mike Bensmiller in a press release. “He has the proven ability to improve schools and promote a positive culture. As an alumnus and community member, he is invested in our district’s future. We look forward to working with him and the leadership he will provide.”
“Following a comprehensive, stakeholder-driven interview process, Mr. Wood emerged as the clear choice to lead the SCSD. His extensive experience, strong leadership skills, and deep familiarity with our district make him an excellent fit for this role,” said Hatfield.
“This is an exciting opportunity for both organizations,” said Great Prairie AEA Board President Dr. Joy Prothero. “We are confident this partnership will benefit both Great Prairie AEA and Sigourney CSD and have a positive impact for the students, educators, and communities we serve.”
“Having the opportunity to serve my home school community as their next superintendent is both exciting and humbling,” said Wood. “I look forward to building upon strong relationships, and continuing the great work already happening everyday in Sigourney’s school buildings. I am committed long term to ensuring all schools in our area remain strong, supportive, and fiscally responsible as we serve our students and families.”
Wood noted to the News-Review that a big challenge the district was facing was how to address the secondary building’s facility needs and convince the community to support making infrastructure improvements. He also stated that a challenge would be advocating for rural schools and ensuring that small schools like Sigourney can continue to grow their schools and programming, despite years of low state funding.
“I’m really excited as a graduate and a community member…My grandpa was a school board member. My dad attended school there. I attended school there. My kids attend school there, and hopefully, my grandkids will be in school there,” said Wood. “I’m just very excited to give back to the community where I started as a student and a teacher, and hopefully work together to build relationships with staff and leaders and community members to make improvements to our system and make sure we’re long term. I hope that this is a long term agreement that I can give back to the community.”
