Dr. Stephanie Anderson, current Riverside superintendent, named Storm Lake elementary principal

Storm Lake Community School District officials announced on March 2, 2026 that they have hired Dr. Stephanie Anderson to fill the district’s elementary principal position, with the appointment listed as effective at the start of the 2026-27 school year. Anderson currently serves as superintendent of the Riverside Community School District, a post she has held since July 2023.

Anderson’s personnel notice highlights a long record in Iowa school leadership. Before becoming Riverside superintendent, she served as director of elementary education and student services in Fort Dodge and previously worked as an elementary principal and an assistant principal. Early in her career she taught first and fourth grade in the Storm Lake district, a detail district officials cited when describing her ties to the community and her familiarity with local classrooms.

Storm Lake officials also described Anderson as bringing “extensive leadership experience in teaching and learning, strategic planning, and family engagement” to the elementary role. The district announcement that listed those priorities did not include direct quotes from Anderson or from district leaders, nor did it specify which elementary building she will lead if the position is tied to a single school rather than a district-level elementary leadership role.

Key transition details remain unreported by either district. The announcement did not disclose contract length, salary, or whether Anderson has submitted a resignation to Riverside; Riverside Community School District has not announced an interim or permanent superintendent plan. Likewise, the Storm Lake release did not specify a formal board vote date or provide board meeting minutes tied to the hire.

A previously circulated assertion that Anderson “returns July 1” has not been confirmed by Storm Lake officials; the district notice ties her start to the beginning of the 2026-27 school year without naming a calendar day. Journalists and community members seeking clarity will need district confirmation on whether the effective date is a calendar start date such as July 1, the first staff workday, or the first student day of 2026-27.

Anderson’s hiring returns a veteran educator with Fort Dodge district leadership experience and classroom roots in Storm Lake to local schools, and it sets a schedule of follow-up questions for both Storm Lake and Riverside boards: the specific title and building assignment, the exact effective date, and succession plans at Riverside. Those items will determine how smoothly leadership transitions in both districts proceed before the 2026-27 school year begins.