The Auburn School District Board of Directors was one of 24 school boards in the state to be named a Board of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA).

This is the sixth time the school board has earned the award.

School board members are Anne Baunach, Laurie Bishop, Robyn Mulenga, Ryan Van Quill and Ray Vefik.

“Each of these boards demonstrates the excellent work done by Washington’s 295 school boards and 1,477 school board members,” said Chris Nieuwenhuis, WSSDA president. “This program gives us a chance to acknowledge that commitment to their students and communities.”

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.

• 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 boards will be honored during the Nov. 17 WSSDA Annual Conference in Spokane. At that time, the association also will announce the 2016 Boards of the Year winners.