By Janine DavisRecord Staff WriterThe Wright City R-II School District will receive the Missouri School Boards Association 2014 Governance Team Award for outstanding leadership, advocacy and professional development.The district is one of only 22 of Missouri’s 520 public school districts to receive the award this year.Phyllis Barks, of the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA), said the award is based on “outstanding commitment to ongoing professional development, to regional and statewide leadership, and to active participation in legislative advocacy for public schools by your school board and superintendent.”“School boards and superintendents that receive this award demonstrate the value of ongoing learning for continuous improvement,” Barks stated in notifying R-II Superintendent Dr. Chris Gaines of the honor.Gaines and school board members will receive the award at MSBA’s Leadership Summit at Lake of the Ozarks in June.“Our board members have demonstrated a strong commitment to their stewardship responsibilities,” said Gaines.He said the state of Missouri mandates that newly elected members go through at least 16 hours of training to be certified, and noted that several members have gone on to attain master’s and advanced credentials.Board Vice President and MSBA Delegate Austin Jones and Treasurer Mary Groeper have received advanced credentials, and President and MSBA Alternate Delegate Alice Klem has received master’s distinction.He said that both Secretary Corri Ruge and board member Laura Marsh are working on their enhanced professional development training.Groeper is on the MSBA Board of Directors, leading governmental relations for Region 17.Gaines noted the numerous trips made by board leaders to meet with state legislators to advocate for laws and budgets to support quality education.According to MSBA, recipients of the Governance Team Award have met the following criteria:• All seven school board members have obtained Essential Certified Board Member (CBM) certification from MSBA.• At least two board members have attained the advanced CBM level of certification from MSBA.• At least one board member has attained the master’s level of certification.• A quorum of the board and superintendent attended MSBA’s 2013 annual conference.• A quorum of the board and superintendent attended either MSBA’s 2013 spring or fall regional meetings.• The district was represented at MSBA’s 2014 legislative forum in Jefferson City.• A board representative participated in MSBA’s 2013 delegate assembly.“We’ve got a great and very active board, and we’re all very pleased to receive this recognition,” Gaines said.R-II district receives top state award