Isle of Wight County Schools was one of nine school divisions to receive top awards in the 2012 Virginia School Boards Association Green Schools Challenge. Winners were announced at the VSBA Annual convention on Nov. 14 in Williamsburg.

The school system earned Gold Certification and won first place in the 5,001–10,000 student category.

“We are excited to be recognized for our green efforts,” School Board Chairman Robert Eley said. “Our School Board is proud to be part of a district that is willing to put forth the time and effort to keep our schools environmentally friendly.”

Winning school divisions were selected from 37 entries, and 32 school divisions were recognized as certified green school divisions.

Isle of Wight County board members returned from VSBA’s annual convention this week and will report back to the full board Dec. 13.

Board members will highlight the tools and information gathered at the event to help further student success during these tough economic times.

“School Board members are being faced with the most difficult fiscal decisions ever seen,” said Katrise Perera, division superintendent.

“Having the chance to network with others from across the state, hear about what other schools are doing to survive this economic crisis and learn from experts in the education community is a priceless opportunity. We are not alone, we are not the only ones struggling, and by collaborating and learning from others, we have a better chance of minimizing the impacts of these horrific cuts to education.”

Approximately 1,000 school governance leaders attended the convention, participating in more than 51 workshops, clinics and critical-issues sessions focused on topics such as closing the achievement gap and the role of division leadership, successful education foundations, how schools can become more disaster resistant, best practices to reduce legal challenges to adverse personnel actions, parliamentary procedure, navigating the social media landscape and school law updates.

“I am eager to share what I learned at the VSBA Convention this year,” said Robert Eley, IWCS School Board chairman. “The convention is a great investment for our community, because it allows our board to continue learning about nationwide and statewide trends, meet and learn from key policy officials and take back new best management practices for our schools that will improve our students’ education.”

Information gathered from the conference that is expected to be shared includes new methods for communicating budget information, key points from the 2013 Governor’s Education agenda, updates from the General Assembly, and proven strategies for continuing to narrow the gaps in student achievement.