Gov. Jay Inslee has proclaimed the month of January as School Board Recognition Month. This marks the 20th year of the annual observance initiated by the National School Boards Association in 1995.

The Washington State School Directors’ Association, along with fellow educators and the broader community, take time in January to honor the 1,477 elected school board members from Washington’s 295 school districts.

“Washington’s school board members put in hundreds of thousands of hours of service each year to guide public education in their communities,” said WSSDA President Chris Nieuwenhuis. “This recognition is well deserved.”

All told, school directors in Washington State govern districts with more than one million students, a combined annual budget of nearly $12 billion, and employ well over 100,000 employees.

School board members play a crucial role in developing policies and making tough decisions on complex educational and social issues. These issues affect the entire state. They are also directly accountable to the citizens in their districts, serving as a vital link between members of the community and their schools.

During January, school districts across the state will honor their local school boards and publicly thank board members for their hard work.

The proclamation has been posted online.