Scott Grimes prepares for role as Ames superintendent with an eye on security, mental health

Ames Community School District's new superintendent plans to prioritize student security and mental health when he begins his new role in July.

Scott Grimes was named superintendent on April 19, replacing Julious Lawson, who is ending his two-year tenure for a position with the Zion School District in eastern Illinois.

Grimes said he admired the Ames district while growing up in Johnston and later while working in other Iowa communities. He has more than a decade of superintendent experience in the Louisa-Muscatine and Dallas Center-Grimes school districts and currently serves as a consultant to the Perry Community School District.

"I think it's an honor to be able to work alongside the school board," Grimes said. "I enjoy public education, and supporting administrators and staff, and having an impact on student learning."

Grimes' official start date in Ames is July 1. Though the new superintendent would not say whether he was moving to Ames with his family, he did admit he would be heavily engaged in the community.

More: New Ames school superintendent brings experience from Perry, Dallas Center-Grimes

New Ames school superintendent has experience in crisis management

Grimes is currently serving as the recovery support administrator at Perry Community School District. He worked with Perry’s administrators as well as state and national leaders to create a return-to-learn plan after a school shooting killed three, including the shooter.

Grimes said he learned a lot from the tragedy and hopes to bring that knowledge to Ames to address potential security needs. He believes the Ames district has some good practices and policies in place, and hopes to build off that foundation.

"I think we need to make sure we're reviewing those (policies), having conversations, practicing and knowing in a time of crisis some of our own best judgment is what's best in those situations," Grimes said. "In the end, you prepare the best you can. You're not going to be prepared for every scenario, but with good policies and practice you will be better prepared for a scenario that may come forward."

The Ames Middle School and the Ames High School have dealt with several fights throughout the current school year. Police officers were dispatched to the middle school in February while a significant altercation at the high school in October also drew a police presence.

Ames High principal Dr. Paul Numedahl sent out a district-wide email to parents on the morning of Oct. 18, addressing the high school altercation that "seriously disrupted our learning environment and threatened the safety of our students and staff."

Ames Community School District superintendent Dr. Julious Lawson pledged to curb student violence at the ensuing Ames School Board meeting on Oct. 23 Ames School Board. The administrator said the October fights were not exclusive to any race, program group, gender, age, or grade level after taking a "deep dive" into the data, hoping to determine the cause.

"We are still actively working with school leaders to mitigate fights and all other acts of violence within our district," Lawson said at the Oct. 23 Ames CSD school board meeting. "Fear has no place in our schools. The emotional and physical safety of our students and staff are paramount."

A middle school substitute spoke at a November school board meeting and suggested an uptick in violence could be attributed to a staffing shortage.

More: Ames CSD's operating budget is decreasing for the 4th straight year, $32 million less than 2021

Supporting and improving mental health within the district

Grimes was also impressed with Ames' Strategic Plan for mental health. He wants to expand on the Mental Health Committee and develop ways to address mental health issues.

Grimes emphasized the importance of monitoring the mental health of both students and school staff. He suggests establishing additional resources to better support everyone in the district.

"There's a lot of stress within public education, and we need to make sure that our staff is well-taken care of so they can better support our students," Grimes said. "It's going to take a lot more people to support, and also, we need to be able to train our staff to identify students and staff who are possibly struggling and find resources for them."

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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Get to know Ames Community School district's new superintendent