about-recognitionJanuary 2015 marks the 14th annual observance of School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey.

The New Jersey School Boards Association initiated the state’s first School Board Recognition Month in 2002 to honor the dedicated local school board members who oversee the education of the state’s 1.4 million public school students.

“New Jersey’s local school boards are the community’s voice in setting goals for the schools and in promoting student achievement,” said Don Webster Jr., NJSBA president and a member of the Manchester Township (Ocean County) Board of Education for 17 years. “School board members receive no compensation for the many hours of service they devote to their communities. In addition to preparing for and attending board meetings, members also dedicate extraordinary amounts of time to attend training and to reach out to state legislators and members of Congress on behalf of the children in their communities.”

On the national level, School Board Recognition Month began in the early 1990s with a proclamation by then-President Bill Clinton. A number of other states also dedicate a month to recognize the service of local school boards.

NJSBA has created an online toolkit to help communities celebrate School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey. The kit contains sample resolutions, news releases, certificates of appreciation and other information that school boards, parent-teacher organizations and municipal governing bodies can use to recognize the dedication of their board of education members.