Kimball Board of Education recognized for its recent accomplishments

The Kimball Board of Education received the Outstanding Board Award during the Area Membership Meeting at the Gering Civic Center on August 28.

The award was presented to the board by the Nebraska Association of School Boards, and Board of Directors and staff. The board received the honor on behalf of their "volunteer time and commitment to education", according to a press release from the Nebraska Association of School Boards.

Superintendent Marshall Lewis recalls the moment that he realized what a great honor the award, which was only given to six boards in the state of Nebraska in 2013, truly was.

"I was really impressed, because of the fact that nobody else in the panhandle was recognized. I didn't realize at the point of us receiving that award that the bar was that high. To be in the entire panhandle and the whole western Nebraska meeting in Gering and to have only the Kimball board recognized, I thought, 'Wow, this is really up there," Lewis said.

Since arriving in Kimball earlier this year, Lewis has worked side by side with the board and doesn't waste an opportunity to tout their impressive knowledge of the education field.

"The part that I really enjoy is when we talk and the questions that they ask are related to learning, students, and our academic mission. I really appreciate that, because they understand where we're coming from," Lewis said.

However, Lewis admits that the achievement should really be attributed to former superintendent Dr. Troy Unzicker for his efforts in the past year in working with the board.

"I was obviously not the superintendent when that was achieved so I give a lot of credit to Dr. Unzicker for pulling that all together, and I hope to continue to encourage our board to work that direction and make things available so that we're able to stay at the forefront of the learning," Lewis said.

While the award certainly is an honor to the members of the board, the efforts and learning that go into achieving the points needed to attain the award are perhaps the more rewarding aspect to board members such as Rick Perry.

"The award is great, but there's more that goes along with it. It's what you bring back to your district. You have to attend so many specific meetings to attain that outstanding board award. You have to accumulate so many points. It's really nice, but if you don't bring back substantial information and ideas to benefit your district, you're wasting your time," Perry said.

Board member Clint Cornils echoed Perry's sentiment, stating that the true benefit of reaching the achievement is the knowledge gained in the process of attending the different sessions and training required to acquire the needed points.

"You learn a lot, and you can see what's out there. If you're not doing it and not sitting there, you have blinders on. If you just say that the way we did things 50 years ago is the way we have to do it now--the technology and the world is changing so much, and it helps us see. There's things that we can't do, but there's a lot we can do to help those kids. It's knowledge, and it's the application of it," Cornils said.

For Cornils, the learning aspect of the award really pushes board members to be active in gathering as much information they can on new technologies and letting that help to inform the policies that come with them.

"10 years ago, you wouldn't have even thought about cell phones and texting and stuff like that. The first time I heard about that was at one of these meetings, and in a couple of years, it was here. It helps you learn and see what's coming. The board award is great, but that's just the icing on the cake for you going and doing what I really think you should be doing: learning," Cornils said.

Perry also believes that the learning aspect is a huge part of what makes being part of the school board rewarding. However, he believes that what makes someone a great board member is a commitment to the responsibility that the position holds.

"Does it make us the best board members? I think it helps. But I think a commitment to the district is what really makes you a great board member, and that's what makes an outstanding board," Perry said.