Dr. Robert Olson has seen a lot in his years with the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District. In his 36 years, he helped helm the reorganization of two other school districts with Clarion. He saw major renovations to all three school buildings in town. And most recently, led a staff as they adapted to educating during a global pandemic. After all this, Olson says he is satisfied that it is time to hand the reins over, but he cannot say enough about his time at C-G-D as he walks out the door.
Olson, originally from the Rockford, Illinois area, explained that he got his start in Clarion in the mid-80s. He first was the high school principal and then in 1989 moved up to the superintendent position. Now, upon his retirement, Olson is the longest serving superintendent in Iowa.
Olson says that when he started, the job looked quite a bit different than it does now. He points out they did not even have technology staff. Olson smiled when he said, “When I first started, I had to look for things to do.”
From the beginning though, Olson had some big issues on his plate. Reorganization with Goldfield was already being worked toward when Olson started as superintendent. The process became complete in 1993 with all classes moving exclusively to Clarion. Olson said he is proud of how smoothly this process went. The vote for reorganization passed overwhelmingly, 373 votes for and only 15 against. Olson added that years later, when Clarion-Goldfield brought in Dows in 2014, he was again happy with the overwhelming support from both districts.
Over the years, Olson would help facilitate many other positive developments within the district. He notes that classrooms were renovated in all the schools, the middle school got a new addition, and the high school moved to geothermal heating and cooling, among many other updates.
Besides cosmetic changes, Olson worked with his staff to usher in an era of new technology in the district. This included not only computer labs and tech staff but eventually access for all students. Anita Frye, the district’s School Business Official and Board Secretary, has worked with Olson closely for the last 10 years. She notes, “Dr. Olson worked with the Tech Director to institute the 1:1 devices for students throughout the district.” Now, students of all ages have access to technology that Olson himself probably could not have foreseen in the 80s.
Olson also toiled away for the betterment of the district from a funding standpoint. Clint Middleton, who worked with Dr. Olson as a schoolboard member for 17 years, emphasized, “He is really one of the best school financial minds in the state of Iowa.” Frye adds that, “The district has maintained financial stability during years where education funding did not see adequate growth.”
Olson laughs and says, “I’m a numbers guy. I don’t mind the budget.” In fact, Olson even teaches budgeting classes for new superintendents. Yet Olson did note that the job and education in general has become much more complex through the years. “There is just so much that is required today: more reports, regulations, and documents,” he said.
His colleagues note that Olson has long been a champion for equity in education, especially for rural districts. He was instrumental in forming the group Rural School Advocates of Iowa in 2014 and has been active on their board through the years, advocating for legislation on behalf of the rural schools. Middleton states, “When Bob was taking care of our school district, he was actually taking care of all the small school districts.”
His comrades within the district also marvel about how steady Olson has been. Middle School Principal Steve Haberman, who has worked with Olson for 21 years, lauds the superintendent’s ability to remain calm no matter what and see the whole picture. Frye echoed that sentiment saying that even during the most stressful times, Olson is unshakeable. Middleton joked that this is a good quality, given that Olson’s PowerPoint presentations to the school board never seemed to work come budget time.
For his part, Olson says it’s been a wonderful ride. He says the best part of the last three and a half decades has been the people he has worked with and cannot say enough about the district’s staff through the years. “I always admire the great relationships they have with each other and the students.” He goes on to say that he has appreciated the people around him, from the hardworking school boards to the innovative administrators. Haberman adds that the respect is mutual, stating, “Dr. Olson has always been very supportive in all that we’ve done for education programming.”
Olson also had a special way with students. Frye reflected that one of her favorite memories regarding Olson was from back when he spent time at the Dows school before the reorganization. “When Dows still had elementary classes, Dr. Olson would sit at the table with students during lunch,” Frye said. “The students loved it, especially if he went out to noon recess with them after lunch.” Olson admitted that the superintendent position did not always let him work as closely as he would like with the young people, but added that getting to spend time in the high school last year among students was a great experience.
Olson says he will miss many things about the job. He enjoyed joking and having a good time with his colleagues and will miss the closeness of those relationships, especially sending off the hard-working retirees every spring. He also says he will miss unique district events like the middle school’s Bridging the Gap event where the young people got to interact with the community’s older residents.
Though it was a hard decision to call it quits, Olson said it is time for him to step away. “It’s someone else’s turn. And I know the district is in capable hands.” He adds that he looks forward to watching the district advance from afar and still intends to stay active in the area and attend events.
Beyond that, Olson says he has plenty planned for his retirement. He and his wife Cay look forward to visiting their grandchildren and daughters Ali and Audrey who live in Missouri and Maryland respectively. He also looks forward to digging into his acreage. He enjoys working outside, as well as hunting and fishing.
As Olson heads into the sunset, he marvels how proud he is to have worked for such a special district. Yet, all who contributed to this story emphasized that the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows district was made all the more special by the presence and hard work of Dr. Robert Olson. Beth Severson, current CGD Board of Ed president, summarized the thoughts of many, “Dr. Olson has been an employee with the greatest sense of servitude to each one of his students and employees for over 30 years.”
