The Riverview, Pasco and Crescent School Boards have been named the 2016 school Boards of the Year.

The awards were presented in Spokane Thursday, Nov. 17, during the annual conference of the Washington State School Directors’ Association. The three boards were chosen from a field of 24 boards which had been named earlier as boards of distinction, the most ever.

“Each of these boards was exceptional at using data and other evidence in making good decisions for their schools,” said WSSDA Executive Director Tim Garchow. “Moreover they had a strong focus on student achievement and reducing opportunity gaps for disadvantaged students.”

In addition to the three Boards of the Year, school boards named as boards of distinction included Anacortes, Auburn, Battle Ground, Bellingham, Camas, Clover Park, Eatonville, Everett, Evergreen, Federal Way, Highline, Issaquah, Kent, Lake Washington, Olympia, Pullman, Puyallup, Quincy, South Whidbey, Tacoma and Wapato.

In a separate awards program, the North Kitsap and Federal Way School Boards were honored for their efforts on behalf of diversity. Those awards were handed out by the Washington School Boards’ Educational Foundation.

The annual Boards of Distinction program honors school boards that demonstrate effective use of the Washington School Board Standards. The standards, developed and adopted by WSSDA in 2009, promote research-based governance practices that lead to high levels of student and district achievement, and help close the opportunity gap.

Award applicants submitted essays and supporting evidence to demonstrate how they are putting the standards into practice.

This year, applicants addressed the following:

Being accountable and open to the public, and seeking divergent perspectives in its decision making;

Adopting a collaboratively developed district plan focused on learning and achievement; and

Employing and supporting quality teachers, administrators and other staff, and providing for professional development.

Applicants also discussed specific decisions their boards had made and evidence on how they were working to help close the opportunity gap.

The applications were evaluated by an independent review panel.

School directors for each of the Boards of Distinction, and superintendents, are:

Anacortes: Marilyn Hanesworth, Bobbilyn Hogge, Erin Rieger, Bill Shaw, Karl Yost, and Superintendent Mark Wenzel;

Auburn: Anne Baunach, Laurie Bishop, Robyn Mulenga, Ryan Van Quill, Ray Vefik, and Superintendent Alan Spicciati;

Battle Ground: Monty Anderson, Stephanie McClintock, Mavis Nickels, Jim Pegoraro, Ken Root, and Superintendent Mark Hottowe;

Bellingham: Kelly Bashaw, Douglas Benjamin, Camille Diaz Hackler, Quenby Peterson, Steve Smith, and Superintendent Gregory Baker;

Camas: Connie Hennessey, Casey O’Dell, Doug Quinn, Julie Rotz, Mary Tipton, and Superintendent Mike Nerland, former superintendent;

Clover Park: Carole Jacobs, Becki Kellcy, Marty Schafer, Joseph Vlaming, Paul Wagemann, and Superintendent Debbie LeBeau;

Crescent: Ann Chang, Sandy Criss, Trisha Haggerty, Susan Hopper, Dara Peppard, and Superintendent David Bingham;

Eatonville: Roger Andrascik, Paulette Gilliardi, John Lambrecht, Ronda Litzenberger, Jeff Lucas, and Superintendent Krestin Bahr;

Everett: Carol Andrews, Pam LeSesne, Caroline Mason, Traci Mitchell, Ted Wenta, and Superintendent Gary Cohn;

Evergreen: Julie Bocanegra, Victoria Bradford, Michael Parsons, Rob Perkins, Todd Yuzuriha, and Superintendent John Deeder;

Federal Way: Liz Drake, Hiroshi Eto, Carol Gregory, Geoffery McAnalloy, Claire Wilson, and Superintendent Tammy Campbell;

Highline: Angelica Alvarez, Tyrone Curry, Sr., Bernie Dorsey, Michael Spear, Joe Van, and Superintendent Susan Enfield;

Issaquah: Lisa Callan, Harlan Gallinger, Marnie Maraldo, Anne Moore, Suzanne Weaver, and Superintendent Ron Thiele;

Kent: Agda Burchard, Karen DeBruler, Russell Hanscom, Deborah Straus, Maya Vengadasalam, and Superintendent Calvin Watts;

Lake Washington: Nancy Bernard, Siri Bliesner, Chris Carlson, Eric Laliberte, Mark Stuart, and Superintendent Traci Pierce;

Olympia: Mark Campeau, Justin Montermini, Eileen Thomson, Joellen Wilhelm, Frank Wilson, and Superintendent Dick Cvitanich;

Pasco: Steve Christensen, Sherry Lancon, Scott Lehrman, Amy Phillips, Aaron Richardson, and Superintendent Michelle Whitney;

Pullman: Jim Evermann, Karl Johanson, Dean Kinzer, Allison Munch-Rotolo, Susan Weed, and Superintendent Bob Maxwell;

Puyallup: Pat Donovan, Christopher Ihrig, Michael Keaton, Dane Looker, Kathy Yang, and Superintendent Tim Yeomans;

Quincy: Chris Baumgartner, Joseph James, Tricia Lubach, Susan Lybbert, Alex Ybarra, and Superintendent John Boyd;

Riverview: Danny Edwards, Jodi Fletcher, Lori Oviatt, Sabrina Parnell, Carol Van Noy, and Superintendent Anthony Smith;

South Whidbey: Rocco Gianni, Damian Greene, Julie Hadden, Shawn Nowlin, Linda Racicot, and Superintendent Josephine Moccia;

Tacoma: Andrea Cobb, Scott Heinze, Catherine Ushka, Karen Vialle, Debbie Winskill, and Superintendent Carla Santorno;

Wapato: Maria Erickson, John Francisco, Alan Taylor, Javier Vela, Myron Yolo, and Superintendent Becky Imler.