OLYMPIA – The Naselle-Grays River Valley School District Board of Directors has been named one of the the state’s three 2004 Boards of the Year by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA). The prestigious awards recognize school boards that have demonstrated outstanding efforts and accomplishments in promoting student achievement.

Board members Bill Coop, Deanna Gjovic, Gilbert Haataia, Steve Sultemeier and Arne Wirkkala were honored during the association’s annual conference in Spokane. The awards are presented to one each from a small, medium and large school district; Naselle was honored as the top district of 1,000 or fewer students.

Superintendent Gerald Schmidtke received a plaque, as well as a check for $500 on behalf of the district.

Award recipients submitted essays describing what the school board has done to improve student achievement. Essays were judged on several criteria, including the board’s vision and leadership, efforts to work as a team with the district administration, clearly-described lessons that will benefit other school boards, and a thoughtful implementation plan.

The Naselle-Grays River Valley School District is composed of about 300 students. The WSSDA noted that with a depressed local economy, the school faces many challenges that larger schools do not.

“Despite these challenges,” the WSSDA said, “the school has one of the top educational programs in the area. This is evident by observing their newly remodeled K-12 facility, the diverse offerings of both academic and vocational courses, the student WASL and ITBS scores, their talented staff, and their dedicated school board of directors.

“The Naselle-Grays River Valley Board of Directors understands the unique qualities of a small school – including the fact that operating a small school requires few people doing numerous tasks. The board provides needed support for these people to work in a collaborative manner so that student achievement is maintained in all areas. It provides and embraces an educational vision that promotes individual leadership, educational best practices, and a team atmosphere dedicated to providing quality educational opportunities for our students.

“The Naselle-Grays River Valley Board of Directors, in cooperation with the school superintendent, has worked to ensure that the school demonstrates excellence in the following areas: facility infrastructure, curriculuminstruction, community support, and fiscal responsibility. It is with these components that they are able to provide an educational program that allows their students to achieve at unlimited potential.”