TRENTON – Taking note of New Jersey’s record of excellence and achievement in public education, Gov. Chris Christie proclaimed January 2016 as School Board Recognition Month in the state.

“New Jersey’s local boards of education endeavor to meet the challenges facing public schools and to help students attain the education necessary to excel in college and in the workplace and to enable them to compete in a global economy,” the governor said in his proclamation. “Local boards of education have contributed to New Jersey being among the leading states in measures of academic quality,” the proclamation stated. Christie signed the proclamation on Jan. 11.
The governor also paid tribute to the “countless hours, without remuneration,” that New Jersey’s local board of education members devote to the oversight of school district operations. Approximately 5,000 citizens serve as local board of education members and public charter school trustees.

NJSBA initiated the state’s first School Board Recognition Month in 2002 as a way to acknowledge the work of the local school board members who oversee the education of New Jersey’s 1.4 million public school students. Nationally, School Board Recognition Month began in the early 1990s; in addition to New Jersey, several other states dedicate a month to recognize the service of their state’s community school boards.

Gov. Christie’s proclamation, as well as information on ways to celebrate the work of school boards, can be found on the School Board Recognition Month section of NJSBA’s web site at staging.njsba.org/recognition.

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of 581 local boards of education and includes 81 charter school associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.