Special to The Leader

AUSTIN—Five school boards from across Texas have been selected as Honor School Boards as part of the 2016 Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) School Board Awards. Each year, the program recognizes outstanding Texas school boards for commitment and service that has made a positive impact on Texas public school students.

 

Since 1971, the TASA program has honored Texas school district boards of trustees that have demonstrated dedication to student achievement and that put students first. The five school boards selected as 2016 Texas Honor School Boards are:

• Denver City ISD, Region 17, Gary Davis, superintendent
• Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Region 11, Jim F. Chadwell, superintendent
• Lancaster ISD, Region 10, Michael McFarland, superintendent
• Robstown ISD, Region 2, Maria Vidaurri, superintendent
• Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, Region 20, Greg Gibson, superintendent

The five boards are now finalists for the program’s highest honor: 2016 Outstanding School Board. They will be interviewed at the TASA/TASB Convention in Houston, then one board will be named Outstanding School Board during the convention’s second general session at 10:30 a.m., Sept. 24. The other Honor Boards, as well as the regional winners, will also be recognized at that time.

 

The 10 boards to be recognized as Regional Honor Boards are:

• Aquilla ISD, Region 12, David Edison, superintendent
• Comanche ISD, Region 14, Rick Howard, superintendent
• Early ISD, Region 15, Wes Beck, superintendent
• Friendswood ISD, Region 4, Trish Hanks, superintendent
• Knippa ISD, Region 20, Jeff Cottrill, superintendent
• Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD, Region 5, Pauline Hargrove, superintendent
• Navarro ISD, Region 13, Dee Carter, superintendent
• Reagan County ISD, Region 18, Steve Long, superintendent
• Roma ISD, Region 1, Carlos Guzman, superintendent
• Waco ISD, Region 12, Bonny Cain, superintendent

The five Honor Boards were selected by a committee of Texas school superintendents, chaired by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD superintendent Mark Henry, whose school board was named the Outstanding School Board for 2015. The selection committee’s decisions were based on specific criteria, including support for educational performance, support for educational improvement projects, commitment to a code of ethics, and maintenance of harmonious and supportive relationships among board members.

 

TASA is the professional association for Texas school administrators, providing networking and professional learning opportunities, legislative advocacy, and targeted communications to support the work of superintendents and other school leaders. The organization’s mission is to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.