Back Row: Joe Hubenak, Dr. Tyson Harrell, Kathryn Kaminski-secretary; Mandi Bronsell, Dr. Thomas Randle-superintendent; James Steenbergen-president
Front Row: Melisa Roberts, Kay Danziger-vice president
The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees has been named the 2018 Region 4 Outstanding School Board as part of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Annual School Board Awards Program! The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees is also the Region 4 nominee for the 2018 Texas Outstanding School Board and is in the running to be named one of five Texas Honor Boards, one of which will be chosen as the Texas Outstanding School Board. The Texas Outstanding School Board will be announced at the 2018 TASA/TASB Convention, to be held September 28–30, 2018.
The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees was recognized for its exemplary level of dedication and commitment to the students and taxpayers in Lamar CISD as well as its positive working relationship between the board members and superintendent. The board successfully provided examples of documentation and materials that demonstrated its commitment to excellence in each of the program's 10 judging criteria: 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; and maintenance of harmonious and supportive relationships among board members.
"Despite the great challenges it has faced, such as enduring Hurricane Harvey and a fast-growing community, the Lamar CISD board has remained steadfast in its commitment to do what is best for children. This is evident in their ethical approach to service and practice of continual improvement," said Dr. Pam Wells, executive director of Region 4 Education Service Center.
This is the second time the Lamar CISD Board of Trustees has been named Region 4 Outstanding School Board. The first was in 2009 when they also were named as one of the five Texas Honor Boards. The Lamar CISD board members are James Steenbergen, president; Kay Danziger, vice president; Kathryn Kaminski, secretary; members Mandi Bronsell, Dr. Tyson Harrell, Joe Hubenak, Melisa Roberts; and Dr. Thomas Randle, superintendent.
"Our Board members are truly dedicated to Lamar CISD and they are so deserving of this honor," said Dr. Randle. "Above all, they want what is best for our students. Their collective efforts will continue to move us forward and I am so proud of their exemplary work in a time of great change."
About Region 4 Education Service Center
Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4), located in Houston, is one of 20 service centers established by the Texas Legislature in 1967. The purposes of the service centers, as presented in legislation, are to assist school districts in improving student performance, to enable school districts to operate more efficiently and economically, and to implement initiatives assigned by the Legislature or Commissioner of Education. The core purpose of Region 4 is to provide excellence in service for children.
Encompassing seven counties in the upper Texas Gulf Coast area, Region 4 serves 48 independent school districts and 34 open-enrollment charter schools. As the largest service center in Texas, Region 4 serves an education community of more than 1.2 million students, more than 95,000 professional educators, and 1,500 campuses.