AISD Board wins regional award

By Lori Burton
Region 11 Education Service Center

The Aledo ISD school board has been selected as the 2021 Region 11 (north central Texas) winner of the School Board Awards program, sponsored by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). This selection marks a district awards sweep for the district, whose superintendent (Dr. Susan Bohn) was recently named the regional Superintendent of the Year.

The Region 11 Education Service Center covers 10 counties and includes 76 public school districts, 16 public charter schools, 76 charter campuses, and 143 private schools ranging in size from small, rural districts up to the Fort Worth ISD.

A panel of local school superintendents selected Aledo ISD’s board as the Region 11 representative for this prestigious awards program. The board’s application has now been forwarded to TASA to be considered for the state-level award. The school board award, created by TASA in 1971, was designed to recognize those school boards that have demonstrated outstanding dedication and have rendered ethical service to the children of Texas. The criteria emphasizes evidence of support for the improvement of educational performance.

The application process involves creating a digital booklet of information and documentation that address the following topics related to board activities:  

• Functions as a policy-making body
• Adherence to adopted board policies
• Support for educational performance in accordance with state-established standards
• Support for educational improvement projects and school transformation initiatives
• Commitment to a code of ethics
• Provision of financial support for the school system
• Participation in workshops and other performance-improvement programs
• Placement of the welfare of children served by the school system above personal or political motives
• Public relations efforts, including community awareness
• Maintenance of harmonious and supportive relationships among board members 

To participate in this awards program, school superintendents must nominate their school board and submit the application to their regional education service center. The selection panel, which is comprised of area school district superintendents, evaluates the applications received and rates how well each applicant addressed the ten areas of focus.

“It is such a well-deserved honor for our school board to be recognized as the Region 11 school board of the year,” Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn said. "They are guided by a clear focus on our Bearcat students in their decision making and lead the ongoing success of the Aledo ISD. They are well-respected among school boards throughout the state and by the community they serve, and I am proud to work alongside these amazing public servants.”

Aledo ISD’s school board will now join 19 other boards from across Texas that will be considered for the state award. The TASA selection committee will review all 20 regional entries and announce five finalists on August 11. These finalists, designated as “Honor Boards,” will then be interviewed by the state selection committee, and the state winner will be named the “Texas Outstanding School Board” for 2021. All five boards will be recognized at the TASA/TASB Convention in September.

Any Texas superintendent who is a member of TASA and has been serving as the district superintendent since July 1, 2019, may nominate their school board for this award.  

Region 11 is one of 20 education service center regions in the state. It covers ten counties in north central Texas that include 76 traditional public school districts and 76 charter school campuses.