Dr. Kerri Nelson on the Sept. 8 levy vote, U.S. News ranking, enrollment, and the first three weeks of school

Dr. Kerri Nelson on the Sept. 8 levy vote, U.S. News ranking, enrollment, and the first three weeks of school

 

 

Shenandoah Community School District Superintendent Dr. Kerri Nelson thanked local voters Wednesday morning after unofficial results showed about 84 percent support for renewing the district’s voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy.

Speaking on KCSI and KOAK the morning after the Sept. 8 special election, Nelson said the community “came out strong” and continued a tradition that dates to the 1990s, when Iowa created PPEL. The renewal covers the next 10 years.

“You’re talking about taxes, and that’s a difficult topic,” she said. “They have a long tradition of supporting PPEL in our community, and they did it again. … You realize what you’re asking of people, and it’s something that you can’t take for granted.”

 

 

What the levy funds

Nelson said the voted PPEL can generate as much as $840,000 a year. The school board does not always levy the full amount. Officials review the rate annually based on needs.

The funding, she said, will let the district keep working through its multi-year facility plan at the K-8 building and take on other projects that have been waiting. PPEL is used for buildings, equipment, transportation, and technology — not salaries.

 

 

13th in Iowa

U.S. News & World Report ranked Shenandoah High School 13th in Iowa in its 2026-2027 Best High Schools list, a new high for the school. Nelson said the district has appeared in the rankings since 2019. Recent Iowa finishes were 58th in 2024 and 22nd in 2025.

She pointed first to proficiency in core subjects, which she said is well above the state average. She also credited the district’s teacher-leadership model — instructional coaches and mentor teachers working with administrators — and the MTSS intervention system used in classrooms.

“We’ve invested heavily in our teacher leadership model,” Nelson said. “Our plan is to stay focused. … We made a decision early on when I came with our administrative team that it’s about doing the right work with kids, and it’s working for us right now.”

 

 

Assessments, enrollment, and a new count rule

Students have already taken FAST screening. The district is also switching its second progress assessment from i-Ready to STAR this year, while still giving the state ISASP tests. Nelson said early results show some summer

slide. Staff will study the numbers more closely this week and next. Because STAR is a different test, year-to-year comparisons will be limited.

Enrollment figures are still settling. Nelson described the district as “pretty steady,” with modest growth at IGNITE, the district’s online and personalized-learning program, and traditional in-person numbers holding even.