ESD 112 Receives Prestigious National Award
Educational Service District 112 has been notified that it is the recipient of a prestigious national award presented by the National Rural Education Association (NREA). The award recognizes outstanding programs, service and leadership that promote equitable educational opportunities for rural school children and their communities. ESD 112 is the only West Coast regional service agency ever to be honored with this award.
Nominated by the superintendents of the Columbia River Gorge school districts, ESD 112 will accept the Howard A. Dawson Award at the 97th Annual NREA Convention in Tucson, Arizona in November. Stevenson-Carson Superintendent Jim Saltness praised the ESD in the nomination application. "Service is not only the organization's middle name, it is the way ESD 112 employees tackle every request - large or small - from member districts," he wrote. He went on to say that all of the districts serviced by ESD 112 greatly benefit from a "mission of excellence" which is the hallmark of the regional service organization.
"We are thrilled with this national recognition, but more importantly, we are honored that our local superintendents took the time and effort to recognize the work that we do together," said ESD 112 Superintendent Twyla Barnes. "Service to rural schools is the backbone of our agency. We are extremely proud of the support system we've built in partnership with schools to help them maximize resources and save money," she added.
White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Dale Palmer said his 1,800-student school district doesn't have enough staff or resources to secure services that aren't needed at any given time, but he is assured that ESD experts are available whenever needed. "With one phone call to ESD 112, I have all the resources I need to handle a crisis, from securing a special education teacher to reconfiguring a bus route to handling a sensitive media and parent communication issue," he said.
ESD 112 was recognized for building sustainable, cost-saving cooperatives including special education, transportation and health, risk and insurance. The nomination also included supportive material for ESD's staff development and teacher training, school improvement assistance and innovative programs that benefit hundreds of students and teachers in rural school districts throughout Southwest Washington.
About ESD 112
Educational Service District 112 enables school districts to concentrate more time, money and energy on student learning. Headquartered in Vancouver, ESD 112 provides local and regional cooperative programs and services to school districts and communities in the six counties of Southwest Washington. ESD 112 was established by the Legislature in 1969 as one of nine regional educational service centers to work in partnership with local communities and school districts to provide direct student instruction, technical assistance and leadership training. The agency offers more than 230 cooperatives and services ranging from interactive telecommunications to the Southwest Washington Child Care Network. There are 30 public school districts, 23 private schools and two state schools serving 100,000 students and 15,000 school employees who benefit from ESD 112 services.