The Wright City R-II School Board continues to be honored for its commitment to serving the district and maintaining a model of excellence.For a third straight year, the board has been awarded an Outstanding Board of Education Award from the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA).“We’ve had an excellent board all nine years I’ve been here in the district,” said Superintendent Dr. David Buck. “They are very stable in the ways they operate. We’ve had some individual turnover, but the philosophy and direction has remained strong.”The Board has earned a distinguished honor each year, as districts are not eligible to apply for the same award in consecutive years. The latest recognition is for “Climate and Culture.”“From my perspective, we expect our educators to participate in professional development,” said Board President Austin Jones. “This is just an extension of professional development from a district perspective. It’s a commitment to continuous education throughout the district.”In an effort to promote a positive climate and culture, the board conducts polls and members attend local board of aldermen and chamber of commerce meetings.“We are really big on listening,” said Buck. “We do our climate survey in the fall. We react to it, and each building leadership team comes up with smart goals.”In the past two years the board has received awards for human and organizational capital as well as teaching, learning and assessment.“When you think about these awards, I think it speaks to our commitment to continuous education,” said Jones. “To be eligible, all seven members have to be MSBA certified and there are continuing education requirements.”The board recently welcomed its newest member, Michael Bates, following the April election and has already begun taking the steps to pursue his MSBA eligibility, so they may apply again next year.The board will receive its 2017 award during a ceremony on June 3 at Tan-Tar-A at the Lake of the Ozarks.Members of the R-II School Board, along with Jones and Bates, are Vice President Alice Jensen, Treasurer Mary Groeper, Secretary David Mikus, Heidi Box and Erin Williams.MSBA