Kirkwood Board of Education receives Governance Team Honor, and Board Members Earn Advanced Certification
![(from left): Jean Marie Andrews, Tanya Craft, Kenneth Roumpos, Judy Moticka, Lisa Nieman, James Harding, Susan Hill and Laura Hepburn accept the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s 2026 Governance Team Award at the MSBA Summer Summit.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1783605882/kirkwoodschoolsorg/jbsdogmtjgp84ogjhsox/Kirkwood.jpg","width":2200}])
Kirkwood Board of Education receives Governance Team Honor, and Board Members Earn Advanced Certification
The Kirkwood School District Board of Education is among 26 Missouri school boards earning the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s 2026 Governance Team Award. This award is based on the commitment of the school board and superintendent to ongoing professional development in effective governance practices. The award also recognizes their commitment to leadership and active participation in legislative advocacy for public schools and the students they serve.
The school board achieved the following criteria:
- The district is an accredited member of MSBA.
- All school board members completed their MSBA New Board Member or Refresher Training.
- At least two board members attained the Advanced level of certification from MSBA.
- At least one board member attained the Master-level certification.
- At least a quorum of the board and the superintendent participated in additional professional development activities.
- At least a quorum of the board and the superintendent participated in a school or community event.
- At least a quorum of the board and the superintendent completed advocacy activities.
Additionally, Judy Moticka, President, and Laura Hepburn, Vice President, achieved Advanced Board Member Certification from the Missouri School Boards’ Association. The board member certification program recognizes school board members who choose to complete additional professional development requirements beyond the 18 ½ hours of training required by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 for new board members. To achieve Advanced Certification, board members must earn at least 12 additional training credits, complete the annual Refresher training requirement through MSBA, read two books related to school board service, attend at least two MSBA regional or statewide events, and write an essay relating their study to their board service.
Those receiving awards were recognized during MSBA’s Summer Summit in June. The Missouri School Boards’ Association is a not-for-profit association that exists to help school boards ensure all students succeed.