Continental superintendent looks forward to challenges

Less than one month into his job as superintendent of the Continental School District, Jim Nelson is already feeling at home.

With more than 30 years of experience in education, and nearly 20 of those in administrative roles, Nelson could fit in at most any school, but he said, he prefers the smaller districts.

“I think that’s because of my upbringing back in Iowa,” Nelson said, “being a farm boy and being in a smaller town.” His preference has practical reasons also. “When you’re in a smaller school, you get to meet the parents, (they’re) more involved in their kids’ education. You get to know the kids not by number, but you get to know them by their faces.”

In his new dual role as principal and superintendent, Nelson said that face-to-face contact with his students makes a real difference.

“Immediately, you have a connection,” he said.

Nelson’s background in education began early at home, as both his parents were teachers and administrators.

“My mother was one of the first women superintendents in the state of Iowa,” he said. “As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

He got his start teaching music at Western Dubuque High School in Iowa for a little over a decade, leading the marching band all over the country.

“We marched all over the United States, from the Cotton Bowl to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” he said.

Eventually, his career took him into the administrative field, where he started out as principal, then curriculum director in Wisconsin, finally becoming superintendent of a small district in Iowa.

“A little town in northeast Iowa called Garnavillo.” The school was about twice the size of Continental, he said.

After some time at various schools, an opportunity arose for Nelson to come to Arizona, where he has been for the past 12 years.

“I’ve just left the Nadaburg School District to come here,” he said. Though he said he enjoyed working at the small school in Wittmann, Ariz., there was one “tiny” factor that played a big part in bringing him to Green Valley.

“I came here because our one and only grandson lives only 25 minutes from here,” Nelson said. “That was my motivator, really.” Though he said he will be living in Green Valley to be closer to the community he serves, Nelson said he would be traveling to Tucson often to see his grandson.

Though he’s just begun his new job, Nelson has plans to keep improving upon the achievements set by former superintendent Gaye Leo, who saw the 2007 test scores on the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test garner the school an “Excelling” rating from the Arizona Department of Education.

Nelson said he is still waiting for the results from last year’s AIMS tests.

“I’ve always worked hard to raise academic standards,” he said. “At every school I’ve been at, I’ve accomplished that. When I arrived at Nadaburg, we were an underperforming school, and when I left to come down here, we were a performing plus.”

Another challenging aspect of his new position, one that all Arizona schools have, is allocating the yearly budget. With a background in finances while in graduate school, Nelson said he is looking forward to tackling the budget.

“Right now, going into this year, we’re a little tight, for various reasons. Our budget is not as healthy as it could be,” he said. “I’m going to take an opportunity to take about a week… and really look the budget over and see what I can transfer from one fund to another fund.”

The overlaying problem with budget concerns, he said, is the Arizona Legislature.

“The thing that I’m really frustrated with, of all things in funding in Arizona, is the Legislature never tell us how much money we can work with.”

The result, he said, is a budget estimation rather than an accurate portrait of expenses.

Nelson noted that schools are required by law to publish their yearly budget even if the state has not decided how much they will get. “The last three years…we’ve had to publish what I call a phantom budget, before the Legislature finished their session.”

Despite these and other challenges, Nelson is very optimistic about his time in Green Valley, and is looking forward to being a principal as much as a superintendent.

“As a principal you get to get into the classroom more, be with the kids more,” he said. “I also like to think I’m a good communicator. I like to work with parents, I like to be part of the community.”

djordan@gvnews.com | 547-9732