A dedication ceremony was held for the Marshalltown Community School District’s B.A. Niblock Orpheum Welcome Center was held Sunday. Niblock, the longtime Anson Elementary School principal who subsequently served on the school board from 2013 to 2021, is pictured front and center along with several of her former colleagues and members of her family.

Few individuals have done more to advance and promote public education in Marshalltown than Bea Niblock, who first came to the district as the principal at Anson Elementary School in 1996 and, upon her retirement from that position 17 years later, served on the school board for eight years, spending most of that time as the board president.

On Sunday afternoon, about 40 community members and former colleagues — and a few relatives who traveled from across the country to be there — attended a dedication ceremony for the B.A. Niblock MCSD Orpheum Welcome Center that included reflections on her almost 50-year career in education and why she was so special to those who had the chance to work with her. Niblock, who has experienced health complications since stepping away from the board two years ago, sat in the front row, and a cardboard cutout of her face was placed in front of the speaking podium for good measure.

As the inaugural speaker, MCSD Superintendent Theron Schutte, noted, two of the most significant findings from an audit completed by the National School Public Relations a few years back that required the board’s “immediate attention” were the need to update the district website and to create an international welcome center for families new to the district. Niblock and the board, in Schutte’s words, directed district leadership to “get ‘er done” and provide a one-stop shop for families to assist with registration of new students, translation services, completing forms, orientation and sharing information on access to community resources.

MCSD Director of Instruction Shauna Smitha and English Language/Migrant Coordinator Rachel Inks visited other welcome centers across the state to gather ideas for how it would look in Marshalltown, and as of the 2023-2024 school year, it is officially renovated and open to students and families. Schutte called naming the center after Niblock “as fitting as it gets.”

“When I had the honor of being selected as superintendent back in 2016, it became readily apparent to me that Bea was a no-nonsense type of person and that her heart was 100 percent (intent on) doing what is in the best interest of kids and their families,” Schutte said. “Bea wants what is best for all students, and she totally understands that many of our students need additional supports in order to be positioned for success through equity to access our rich academic and extracurricular programs. I think it would be fair to say that Bea has championed meeting the needs of all students better than anyone I’ve worked with, and it’s undoubtedly a particular passion of hers to help those that are in the most need of help.”

In addition to leading the welcome center initiative on behalf of the board, Schutte said Niblock also made personal — and anonymous — financial contributions to help get it off the ground.

“Bea, on a personal note, I’m deeply appreciative of the leadership you’ve provided the board superintendent team since I had the honor of coming back to my hometown. The commitment that you have modeled for board members and our school community has been tremendous and essential for us to move the needle in areas such as student achievement, staff development, enhanced student, parent and community engagement, facility improvements and having a healthy financial forecast for the future,” Schutte said. “There’s still plenty of work that needs to be done in those areas, but you significantly helped us to get on a great trajectory. I’m thankful to have been able to call you my boss, my colleague, and most importantly friend, and couldn’t be happier to keep your legacy alive through the naming of this outstanding facility.”

Current Board President Sean Heitmann lamented the fact that too often, buildings are only named after people after they’ve died, and he was happy Niblock was alive to see all of the people who she impacted and get to hear them say thank you.

“I’m glad that we’ve done this while you’re still around so that you can sit here and look at us and you can sit here and listen to all of us. Thank you Bea,” he said.

T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Franklin Elementary School Principal Tim Holmgren speaks during the dedication ceremony for the B.A. Niblock Orpheum Welcome Center on Sunday afternoon, standing behind a cardboard cutout of Niblock’s face.

Franklin Elementary School Principal Tim Holmgren described Niblock as someone who he knew he would get along with from the moment they met.

“Bea holds teachers accountable. She has high expectations, but within that, she’s also there. She’s got your back. She’ll talk you through anything no matter how difficult it may be,” he said. “She is a lady who truly values students and what is best for students. She values the diversity of Marshalltown. She values those that are willing to stand with her and do what is best for kids, so Bea, I want to thank you for your leadership, your mentorship of me when I took that plunge to the other side, your advocacy and, most of all, your friendship.”

Former Rogers Elementary Principal Mick Jurgensen worked with Niblock for 17 years and said they navigated a host of changes both in administration — four different superintendents — and legislation with initiatives like No Child Left Behind being enacted. He recounted accomplishments like Anson winning the Federal Gold Award for nutrition, which had a major impact throughout the district, and Niblock’s tenure on the board, where she brought “a positive tone” but always asked thoughtful and probing questions — including her trademark, “What have we done to improve education for the students of Marshalltown?”

“She never shied away from difficult issues, and she never apologized for doing what was best for kids,” Jurgensen said.

While she was president of the board, the district dealt with the 2018 tornado, the 2020 derecho, the COVID-19 pandemic and a trio of staff members being accused of sexual misconduct involving students all within a few months of each other back in 2021.

“Bea held it together for all of us and gave us hope and confidence for the future, especially as she did the back to school speech after some of those events,” he said. “It was chaste. It was simple. It wasn’t with unneeded ornamentation or comment. It was eloquent. It was fluent, persuasive and clear. It was reassuring that we can and would move on stronger in the future.”

Rep. Sue Cahill (D-Marshalltown), a longtime teacher, teacher-librarian and teacher leader in the MCSD, said Niblock was a model for teachers, administrators and board members in the district, especially through her aforementioned commitment to always putting kids first.

Schutte read a letter from Janelle Carter, who served on the board with Niblock, before several video tributes from Hoglan Elementary Principal Amy Williams, Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer, former Iowa Valley Community College District Chancellor Chris Duree (who had previously worked with Niblock in the Chariton school district), MCSD Director of Special Services Matt Cretsinger, current Anson Elementary Principal Ronnie Manis and Karn Gregoire of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation were also shown inside of the theater.

Fittingly, Niblock then had a chance to reciprocate the praise for Marshalltown community members and her niece, sister-in-law and great niece who came from across the country to attend the ceremony.

“Thank you all so much. I am humbled by your presence today, and I am honored that this beautiful facility has been named for me,” she said. “As I began to work at Anson, I found the district (to be) the place that I wanted to be and the people of Marshalltown the ones who I enjoyed. Days turned into weeks into months into years, and here I am, 27 years, later, still in Marshalltown.”