Nebo School Board Earns Top Honor

Submitted by lana.hiskey on

Last week, Governor Gary R. Herbert recognized the Nebo School Board of Education for its work in advancing its own collective knowledge and skills as the lead policy organization in the district. In addition, the Governor recognized individual board members for their own attainment of mastery of board principles through the Master Boards Award (MBA) program.  Recognized board members include: Dean Rowley, Rick Ainge, Christine Riley, Rod Oldroyd, Kristen Betts, Randy Boothe, K.L. Tischner, Superintendent Rick Nielsen, and Business Administrator Tracy Olsen.

To be chosen for the MBA Award, school boards complete three items in five areas of achievement including: continuous improvement, advocacy, community engagement and collaborative relationships, accountability, and a foundation of effective governance. The Master Boards Award program was conceived by leaders of the Utah School Boards Association who wanted to help local school board members understand the complexities of issues they face, including school finance, legislation, ethics, policy, and board meeting rules and conduct, among many other topics.

Superintendent Rick Nielsen said, “This is another great indicator of what a committed and student-centered Board of Education we have in Nebo School District. Our Nebo School Board is committed to best practices to increase student learning. They make sure they stay on top of all kinds of knowledge and practices required for them to provide vision and policy direction to insure the success of students and employees of Nebo School District.”

Each year under the MBA program, each local school board member and the board they represent, can reach new goals to enhance learning and skills. They do this through individual study/readings, group seminars, online workshops, state conferences, community meetings and contacts, and ensuring proactive procedures and policies in their districts. It is noted that research shows that highly effective boards boost student achievement.