Three Texas school districts earn honorable mentions in national Magna Awards program

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2008
Contact: Barbara Williams, 800.580.8272, ext. 6418

American School Board Journal Announces Winners, Honorable Mention Districts

Alexandria, Va. (March 19, 2008) – Three Texas school districts — Dallas, Hidalgo, and Texarkana — have been recognized as honorable mention winners in the American School Board Journal’s 14th annual Magna Awards program.

Dallas was honored in the 20,000 and above enrollment category for its ArtsPartners program, which was developed after a district survey showed public investments in the educational programs of arts and cultural agencies reached just 25 percent of Dallas children. Working with leading civic, educational, and artistic representatives from the community, Dallas ArtsPartners now serves all 156 elementary schools and delivers more than 420,000 hours of programming.

Hidalgo was recognized in the under 5,000 enrollment category for its Parental Career Pathway Academy (PCPA), which was established by the school board to minimize educational gaps among students, parents, and educators by focusing on English literacy and career/occupational skills. The PCPA provides support to non-English speaking parents through a four-year process that trains and educates them in English literacy, occupational skills, and college readiness.

Texarkana was honored in the 5,000 to 20,000 enrollment category for its Engineering & Mathematics PK-16 Collaborative, a joint project with Texas A&M-Texarkana. The aligned kindergarten-16 engineering education collaborative resulted in the construction of the Texas High Math & Science Center, which opened in January 2007, and Morriss Elementary, which opened in August.

The Magna Awards recognize districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement in schools. This year’s three grand prize, 15 first place, and 15 honorable mention winners were selected based on three enrollment categories: less than 5,000 students, 5,000 to 20,000, and 20,000 and above.

“For more than a decade, the Magna Awards have showcased innovation and bold steps taken by school districts every day to address the many challenges facing public education,” said Marilee Rist, ASBJ’s publisher and assistant executive director of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). “This year’s entries reflect the hard work of school boards, superintendents, and staff who strive to meet changing community needs in creative and innovative ways.”

Lorna Donatone, president of Sodexho School Services, said, "The Magna Awards are a special honor because they celebrate partnerships that challenge traditional approaches and conventional thinking in education. This year's winners are an inspiration to others because they illustrate how school boards and communities can advance student learning through innovation and perseverance."

American School Board Journal initiated the Magna Awards in 1995 to recognize school boards for taking bold and innovative steps to improve their educational programs. An independent panel of school board members, administrators, and other educators selected this year's winners and honorable mention districts from more than 250 submissions. This year’s applicants came from 40 states; districts in 21 states were winners or honorable mention recipients.

The 2008 winners are highlighted in a special supplement to the April issue of ASBJ and will be formally recognized on Monday, March 31, at the School Leaders Luncheon at Peabody Orlando Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The luncheon is part of NSBA’s 68th annual conference scheduled for March 29-April 1 in Orlando.

American School Board Journal (www.asbj.com) is the award-winning, editorially independent education magazine of NSBA. Founded in 1891, ASBJ covers a broad range of topics pertinent to school governance and management, policy making, student achievement, and the art of school leadership. In addition, regular departments cover education news and trends, school law, research, communications, facilities, and technology.

Sodexho, Inc. (www.sodexho.com) is a leading integrated food and facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.3 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho, Inc. serves more than 10 million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexho Group, and funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

Magna Awards website: www.asbj.com/magna

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List of Magna Awards winners

Grand Prize Winner, Category 1 (under 5,000 enrollment)
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez, Calif.
Environmental and Spatial Technologies (EAST)

Grand Prize Winner, Category 2 (5,001 to 20,000)
Clarke County School District, Athens, Ga.
Classic City High School Performance Learning Center (PLC)

Grand Prize Winner, Category 3 (20,001 and above)
Cherokee County School District, Canton, Ga.
A High School for Every Student
Category 1 (under 5,000 enrollment) winners
Salem County Vocational Technical Schools, Woodstown, N.J.
Salem County Arts, Science, and Technology Academies

Red River Parish, Coushatta, La.
The Jeannette Lawson Family Center

North Montgomery Community School Corporation, Crawfordsville, Ind.
Unique Learning Adventures with the School Board and Local Business Leaders

Fenton High School District 100, Bensenville, Ill.
Spanish-Speaking Parent Outreach Program

Elk Mound Area School District, Elk Mound, Wis.
Elk Mound School Board Team Development
Category 2 (5,001 to 20,000)

Roanoke County Public Schools, Roanoke, Va.
Engineering Specialty Center at the Arnold R. Burton Technology Center

Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, Central Valley, N.Y.
Healthy Schools Initiative

Lee's Summit R-7 School District, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Great Beginnings Early Education Center Capital Campaign

Lake Stevens School District, Lake Stevens, Wash.
Student Assistance Program

Columbus County Schools, with Whiteville City Schools and Southeastern Community College, Whiteville, N.C.
Southeastern Early College High School Partnership Program

Category 3 (20,001 and above)

Prince William County Public Schools, Manassas, Va.
Early Identification Program (EIP)

Pasco County Public Schools, Land O' Lakes, Fla.
Resource Recovery/Recycling Program

Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, Fla
Ought To Be A Law

Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation, Evansville, Ind
Health Science Institute

Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, N.C.
Cross Creek Early College High School (CCEC)

Honorable mentions: Category 1

Bath Public Schools and School Union 47, Bath, Maine
Regional School Unit

Blaine County School District No. 61, Hailey, Idaho
Pre-Kindergarten

Hidalgo Independent School District, Hidalgo, Texas
Parental Career Pathway Academy (PCPA)

Manheim Central School District, Manheim, Pa.
Eighth Grade Mentoring by Administrators

St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, Chalmette, La.
Coordinated School Health Program

Honorable Mentions, Category 2

Blue Springs R-Iv School District, Blue Springs, Mo.
Reading In the Blue

Columbus County Schools, Whiteville, N.C.
Beginning Teachers Support Program

Fargo Public Schools, Fargo, N.D.
Dropout Prevention

Texarkana Independent School District, Texarkana, Texas
Engineering & Mathematics PK-16 Collaborative

Walton County Public School, Monroe, Ga.
Problem Solved!

Honorable Mentions, Category 3

Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland, Ohio
3Rs Program: Rights, Responsibilities, and Realities

Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas
ArtsPartners

Genesee Intermediate School District, Flint, Mich.
Bridges to the Future

Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Ky.
Every 1 Reads