P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

N.J. State Board of Education Honors 4,800 Local School Board Members

TRENTON, January 9, 2008 — The New Jersey State Board of Education today honored the work of the state’s more than 4,800 local school board members by approving a resolution that commends the members for dedicating their time to the oversight of school district operations, sound finances, comprehensive policies, curriculum and staffing.

The State Board’s action follows Governor Jon S. Corzine’s recent proclamation, also declaring January as School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey.

In its resolution, the State Board noted New Jersey’s status as a leader in academic quality, including benchmarks of success such as high school graduation rates, National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, teacher-to-student ratios and college preparation through advanced-placement offerings and SAT assessments, and acknowledged the vital role that local boards of education play in the governance of school districts.  

“The New Jersey State Board of Education recognizes the contributions of our state’s local boards of education to the academic success of its public school students and expresses its sincerest appreciation to local school board members for their focus on the well being and achievement of children throughout the state,” the resolution states.

New Jersey’s local school boards oversee the operations of the public schools that serve about 1.4 million students, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association, a sponsor of School Board Recognition Month.

The National School Boards Association began School Board Recognition Month in the early 1990s, and various states have dedicated a month to recognizing the contributions of local school board members. 2008 marks the seventh year that School Board Recognition Month has been celebrated in New Jersey.

School Board Recognition Month also comes at an important time in the candidacy process for local board membership in New Jersey, according to NJSBA. The filing deadline for candidacy in the 2008 Annual School Election is Feb. 25. The election will take place on April 15, when more than 1,500 school board positions will be on the ballot statewide.

Information to help communities honor the work of their local board members is available through NJSBA’s Web site at www.njsba.org/recognition. Information to guide residents who are considering running for their local school board is available through NJSBA’s online candidate’s kit at www.njsba.org/candidacy.

The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.