MONTGOMERY, AL – (August 2015) – Fifty-one school boards from across the state will soon receive the 10th annual Alabama Association of School Boards President’s Award. The award will be presented at the AASB District Meetings that will be Aug. 31-Sept. 21 in nine geographical regions.

“The AASB President’s Award is presented to boards that have had at least 60 percent of their members attend three or more School Board Member Academy courses in the 2014-15 academy year,” said AASB President Katy Campbell. The academy year ended June 30.

“This award inspires school boards to take seriously their roles as education leaders, community representatives and advocates of student achievement,” Campbell said. “AASB has always striven to provide school boards meaningful training and educational opportunities to strengthen their leadership and boardsmanship skills. To benefit from that training, boards must exhibit a level of commitment to learning all they can about education issues and effective governance.”

The District 5 meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. In all other districts, the meeting begins with networking at 6 p.m., and dinner is at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 45-minute program. School board members earn 1 credit hour in the AASB School Board Member Academy for the session. (Brochure)

Listed below are the 2014-2015 recipients of the AASB President’s Award.

• School boards in Brewton, Saraland and Satsuma and in Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties will receive their awards at the District 1 meeting Sept.1 at the Satsuma Community Center. James Woolsey of Satsuma serves as director of District 1, which also includes school boards in Chickasaw and Thomasville; in Baldwin, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties; and the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science board.

• The school boards in Demopolis and Selma and boards in Butler and Perry counties will receive their awards at the District 2 meeting Aug. 31 at the Sawmeal Restaurant in Brent. Donald Nichols of Perry County serves as director of District 2, which also includes school boards in Linden and in Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Choctaw, Dallas, Lowndes, Marengo and Wilcox counties.

• The Enterprise and Henry County school boards will receive their awards at the District 3 meeting Sept. 21 at Hoppergrass Restaurant in Ozark. James Rodgers of Covington County serves as director of District 3, which also includes school boards in Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Houston and Pike counties and in the cities of Andalusia, Daleville, Dothan, Elba, Eufaula, Geneva, Opp, Ozark and Troy.

• School boards in Auburn, Lanett and Phenix City and in Chambers, Elmore, Macon and Montgomery counties will receive their awards at the District 4 meeting Sept. 3 at the Opelika High School. Gwen Harris Brooks of Lanett serves as director of District 4, which also includes boards in Alexander City, Opelika, Pike Road, Roanoke and Tallassee; in Bullock, Clay, Coosa, Lee, Randolph, Russell and Tallapoosa counties; and the Alabama Department of Youth Services board.

• School boards in Bessemer, Fairfield, Hoover, Midfield and Tarrant and in Jefferson and Shelby counties will receive their awards at the District 5 meeting Sept. 17 at Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. Suzy Baker of Alabama School of Fine Arts serves as director of District 5, which also includes school boards in Alabaster, Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Gardendale, Homewood, Hoover, Leeds, Midfield, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Tarrant, Trussville and Vestavia Hills; in Shelby and Jefferson counties; and the Alabama School of Fine Arts board.

• The Attalla, Gadsden and Talladega school boards and boards in Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair and Talladega counties will receive their awards at the District 6 meeting Sept. 10 at the Classic on Noble in Anniston. Kathy Landers of Talladega County serves as director of District 6, which also includes school boards in Anniston, Fort Payne, Jacksonville, Oxford, Pell City, Piedmont, and Sylacauga; in DeKalb County; and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind board.

• School boards in Tuscaloosa and Winfield and in Greene, Hale, Marion, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties will receive their awards at the District 7 meeting Sept. 8 at Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa. Earnestine Tucker of Tuscaloosa serves as director of District 7, which also includes the Jasper school board and school boards in Fayette, Lamar and Walker counties.

• School boards in Florence and Muscle Shoals and in Colbert, Lauderdale, Limestone and Morgan counties will receive their awards at the District 8 meeting Sept. 15 at the Marriott Shoals in Florence. Karen Duke of Decatur serves as director of District 8, which also includes school boards in Athens, Cullman, Decatur, Haleyville, Hartselle, Russellville, Sheffield and Tuscumbia and in Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence and Winston counties.

• School boards in Huntsville and Scottsboro will receive their awards at the District 9 meeting Sept. 14 at the Huntsville Center for Technology. David Vess is the director of District 9, which includes school boards in Albertville, Arab, Boaz, Guntersville, Oneonta and Madison and in Blount, Madison, Marshall and Jackson counties.

District meetings provide school board members with one hour of low-cost, educational programming. This fall’s topic, Virtual Vision & Legislative Litmus, will include details about what Alabama’s new virtual school law requires. By the fall of 2016, every Alabama school system must offer some form of online learning for students. The program features leaders of innovative online programs already under way in Baldwin County, Hartselle, Mobile County and Oxford. They will discuss – virtually, of course – how they serve students in this brave new world and share the lessons they have learned along the way. AASB will also survey members about legislative issues on the horizon.

For details, call Public Relations Director Denise Berkhalter at 334/277-9700 or 334/462-1639, cell.

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