Officer Logan Nord Named 2026 Iowa School Resource Officer of the Year

Oskaloosa Police Officer Logan Nord, center, holds the 2026 Iowa Association of School Resource Officers School Resource Officer of the Year award. Oskaloosa Police Chief Ben Boeke and Oskaloosa City Manager Shawn Metcalf are pictured to Nord’s left during the award presentation. Photo submitted.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Oskaloosa Police Officer Logan Nord has been named the 2026 Iowa Association of School Resource Officers School Resource Officer of the Year, an award recognizing his work with students, school employees and families in the Oskaloosa Community School District.

The statewide award honors Nord’s work with students, school employees and families in the Oskaloosa Community School District. It recognizes his efforts to build relationships with students, create new programs, improve school safety and serve the community.

Nord has completed four full school years as a school resource officer, beginning shortly before the 2022-23 school year, after longtime School Resource Officer Gary Kutcher retired.

Nord said receiving the award was a surprise.

He attended the Iowa Association of School Resource Officers conference in the Des Moines area, expecting to participate in training and other conference activities. He did not know that Oskaloosa Police Chief Ben Boeke and Oskaloosa City Manager Shawn Metcalf had arrived for the award presentation.

Nord assumed the patch on Boeke’s uniform belonged to an officer from the Des Moines Police Department. He did not notice Metcalf sitting nearby.

Nord began to realize what was happening when officials started reading information from the winning nomination.

“They started reading off the nomination, and they mentioned Lunch Bunch, and I was like, ‘Hey, cool, somebody has the same idea as me, same name,’” Nord said. “And then they’re like, ‘Lunches with Logan.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, wait a minute, something’s off here.’ And then when they said Cops for Kind Kids, I’m like, ‘Holy crap, it’s me.’”

The Iowa Association of School Resource Officers said Nord shows what it means to be an outstanding school resource officer.

The organization pointed to his commitment to student relationships, creative programs, school safety leadership and community service. It also recognized his work as a DARE instructor, his mentoring of students and his role in expanding Oskaloosa’s school resource officer program.

Nord said the award was meaningful because it came from an organization made up of people who understand school-based police work.

“There were a lot of really good SROs in that room,” Nord said. “It could have been anybody from the state that’s in that position. So it was really, really quite cool to win that.”

Returning to the Schools He Attended

Nord’s connection to the Oskaloosa school district began many years before he became a police officer.

He attended Oskaloosa schools beginning in elementary school. He later attended Oskaloosa Middle School and graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 2016.

Nord remembers playing sports at the district’s stadium while parts of the facility were still being completed.

He also has an unusual connection to the DARE program he now teaches.

Nord was sick on the day of his own DARE graduation and never received his certificate. He now teaches the program and helps lead DARE graduation ceremonies for Oskaloosa students.

“I never actually graduated from it, so the kids are always like, ‘Wait, you could do that?’” Nord said. “And now I teach it, and I run the graduation.”

Before becoming a school resource officer, Nord completed training through the National Association of School Resource Officers. He described the national organization as a leading source of training for school-based police officers.

He also completed training to become a DARE instructor.

Nord was prepared to take over the local position when Kutcher retired shortly before classes began in August 2022. That allowed Nord to move into the schools without a long gap in the program.

Building Trust Before Problems Begin

A school resource officer has several responsibilities. The officer helps protect school buildings, responds to emergencies, investigates possible crimes, and works with administrators on safety plans.

Nord said the position also depends on building relationships before a serious problem happens.

Programs such as Lunch Bunch and Lunches with Logan give students a chance to spend time with an officer in a less formal setting. Students can talk, ask questions, and become more comfortable with the officer.

That trust can become important when a student is worried about a friend, facing a problem at home, or has information about a possible safety concern.

Nord has also worked with the Cops for Kind Kids program. The effort recognizes and encourages positive behavior among young people.

The programs allow students to see police officers as people they can speak with, rather than only seeing them during arrests, emergencies, or disciplinary situations.

The Oskaloosa school resource officer program has expanded since Nord first took the position. Officer Jenna Stengel now serves alongside him.

Nord said Stengel has accepted the programs he started and has helped continue them.

“It was really cool to see the hard work that I’ve put in for the last four full school years now, but also that Jenna has joined in on, and she’s embraced all of it and enjoys all the things I had started and wants to continue with it too,” Nord said.

Nord and Stengel rotate between Oskaloosa’s school buildings.

One officer works mainly at the elementary level, while the other works at the middle and high school levels. They then switch assignments. The rotation helps both officers get to know students of different ages.

“We rotate weeks, one week at the middle school, high school, the other at the elementary, just to keep it fresh,” Nord said. “We get to know the kids at all levels.”

Programs Expected to Continue

Nord said the officers plan to continue their student programs during the coming school year.

Lunches with Logan will continue at the middle school level, although the program may be renamed now that two officers are involved.

Nord and Stengel also plan to continue Cops for Kind Kids.

Another possible program would be created for high school students interested in law enforcement or the criminal justice system.

Nord said it could operate as a lunch-and-learn program. Students could eat lunch while listening to people who work in different parts of public safety and the court system.

Guests could include police officers, sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers, corrections employees or people from the county attorney’s office.

Nord said many students understand the basic job of a police officer but may not realize how many people and offices are involved in public safety.

“You don’t always get exposure to that stuff, and it’s good to see the things and how they all work together,” Nord said. “It’s a lot of offices. It’s a lot of people that help make the operation and organization run.”

Responding to New School Safety Threats

Positive student programs are only one part of Nord’s work.

School safety remains a central responsibility for both resource officers. Nord works with school administrators to assess potential threats, update safety plans, and consider improvements.

He said Oskaloosa benefits from administrators who are also involved in statewide school safety efforts. That allows school leaders and police officers to share information and discuss ideas together.

“We’re working together and always looking for the best solution,” Nord said.

Nord also works with the Governor’s School Safety Bureau through the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The bureau can help local officers investigate online threats and other digital information. Its employees can review available information, identify where it came from and send it to the correct agency.

Nord said he has contacted the bureau during past situations involving local schools.

“They’re able to take the information you have and find out a lot really quickly, or get it to where it needs to go,” Nord said.

Nord believes artificial intelligence will pose an increasing challenge for schools and law enforcement.

Artificial intelligence programs can quickly create text, photographs, audio recordings and videos. The technology can help students learn, but it can also be used to create false information or make a threat appear real.

“I think one of the big things is going to be AI, and just seeing how that impacts how students, not only how they learn,” Nord said.

Programs are available to help identify material created with artificial intelligence. However, Nord said the technology continues to change and improve.

“It’s an ever-moving target,” he said.

Helping Students Find Community Resources

Nord’s work in Oskaloosa reaches beyond the school buildings.

He serves on the United Way of Mahaska County board and helps with community programs and fundraising events.

Nord’s involvement with United Way began when he was recruited for the organization’s Power of the Purse fundraiser. During the event, Nord and several other local men modeled purses to raise money.

Nord later applied to join the United Way board. He expected to go through an interview but learned he had been selected by a unanimous vote.

Serving on the board has helped Nord learn more about nonprofit organizations, budgets and services available in Mahaska County.

That information can be useful when he works with students and families.

A police officer may become aware that a family needs food, housing assistance, counseling or another service. The officer may not provide that service directly, but knowing which organization can help allows the officer to connect the family with the right resource.

“I sometimes know about resources that other people don’t necessarily know about, or other entities or businesses,” Nord said. “So I’m able to kind of hook them up together to make everything work better for everyone.”

Returning to Patrol During the Summer

Nord and Stengel spend most of the school year working inside the district.

The police department tries to avoid pulling them out of the schools for regular patrol calls. However, staffing needs or serious situations can sometimes require them to help elsewhere.

During summer break, Nord returns to a more traditional police patrol schedule. That can include working weekends and holidays.

Nord said it takes time to adjust after spending most of the year working a school schedule. By the end of summer, he is ready to return to the schools.

“By the time summer’s over and school’s starting back up, we’re all pretty excited for the school year,” Nord said.

A Different Kind of Police Work

Nord said that working in schools provides experiences that officers may not encounter while handling regular patrol calls.

Police officers often meet people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. People may be angry, frightened, or upset when officers arrive.

The reaction inside a school can be very different.

Nord said students and school employees regularly tell him they are glad he is there.

“In law enforcement, far too often people aren’t so thrilled you’re there,” Nord said. “And I get told every day in the schools, ‘Hey, we’re so happy you’re here. We’re thankful you’re here.’”

Nord said he tries to be open with parents, students and school employees while protecting information that must remain private.

He encouraged parents with questions about safety or the school resource officer program to contact him, Stengel or a school administrator.

If they do not know the answer immediately, Nord said they will work to find it.

“I’m very blessed to be in the position that I am,” Nord said. “I really enjoy being in the schools and the positivity that I’m around all the time.”

The 2026 School Resource Officer of the Year award recognizes Nord’s work during his first four years in the position. Nord said the award represents not only his own work but also the support provided by Stengel, the police department, school employees and the Oskaloosa community.