“I feel like if we can do a good job as a district, highlighting all the things we have going on, hopefully that’ll encourage people to get involved,” said Matt Coss.
Communication and coverage are so important within a school district. The community is always interested in our students’ activities, the basic information about what is going on within the schools, and emergencies in case something were to go wrong. Because of this, many larger school districts like our own have a position that does just that.
The Muscatine Community School District’s Director of Communications position became open in early November 2024, and it was a new beginning for 1996 Muscatine graduate Matt Coss, who was hired to start the role in January 2025. The position entails running all of the district’s social media channels and communicating with parents and the community.
The Muscatine School District was not Coss’s first destination after graduating in 1996; he actually attended the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in electronic media.
“My major was technically electronic media, with a minor in journalism, but more or less I studied communications, and journalism, and that’s what I really wanted to do,” Coss said.
After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, Coss worked at several newspapers across the state before returning to Muscatine and landing a job as sports editor at the Muscatine Journal.
When Coss took on this new role within the District, because of his alumni status and work with the local Journal, he was already a familiar face to the Muscatine Community. He often covered high school sports, but this coverage extended into the community as well. Matt Coss Bowling Coverage from 2011.
But, with the modern changes to the news field, like changing from an afternoon paper to a morning edition and staff cuts, Coss decided to leave and find a new publication after three years at the Journal.
“The Quad-City Times had an opening and I figured, well, I could still live in Muscatine and commute back and forth,” Coss said. “So I took a job at the Quad-City Times and worked there for almost 12 years.”
For the first six years, Coss was a sports writer before becoming a sports editor for the last six. But with changes to the news industry and dwindling staff, Coss knew he needed a change.
“I felt like, well, I’ve still got another 20-plus years before I retire, so if I don’t see newspapers lasting that long, I need to find something else,” Coss said.
That is where MCSD comes into play.
After resigning from the QCT, Coss went into freelance writing for a couple of years until the director of communications position opened. For the position, Coss went through two formal interviews and a final sit-down with Superintendent Clint Christopher. Coss started the position in late January and has slowly been implementing his thoughts and ways.
“My biggest struggle adjusting was getting used to the crisis communication aspect,” Coss said. “Several of the principals in our district, including Ryan Castle, have been good at helping me communicate with parents on certain things that have popped up.”
The Director of Communications does it all – photography, writing coverage on activities, and mass messages to the community. This position is work-heavy, even during the summer, but it is clear Coss is ready for the challenge. So far, you can see Coss’s work on the MCSD social media pages covering Track, Tennis, the FFA banquet, and even the school musical.
“This position has been an adjustment for sure, especially when dealing with sensitive topics, but I am confident that the more coverage in the school we can provide, the more involved and successful students will be,” Coss said.
