The Marshalltown Community School board team was awarded the prestigious Team Achievement Award through the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) 2024-25 Annual Board Awards program. Only 37 board teams in the entire state earned this award. To qualify for this award, the majority of the board earned Individual Achievement Awards.
The following board members received the Individual Achievement Award: Sean Heitmann (Board President), Sara Faltys (Board Vice President), Zach Wahl, Leah Stanley, Elizabeth Wise, Maria Morales, and former school board member Karina Hernandez. This award is given to individuals who complete a minimum of 15 hours of learning in one year to improve their knowledge and skills by attending IASB-led learning events. The award winners join a group of 287 school board, area education agency (AEA) and community college board members to earn this award for 2024-25.
“This award recognizes the time and effort our board members spend increasing their knowledge and developing their skills as board members,” said Heitmann. “We have made it a priority for many years to be a learning board, and have worked to establish a culture of learning and continuous improvement. To have our board and many of our individual members recognized for those efforts once again is great to see.”
"I'm very proud that once again all of our board members committed significantly to their own learning and development so as to earn this recognition. For our school board to be a truly highly effective team, we must embrace the philosophy of continuous improvement, starting with ourselves,” said Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte. “It is paramount that every board member prioritizes their own learning and development. The landscape of education, finance, and policy is constantly evolving, and by dedicating time to training, studying best practices, and understanding the complex issues we face, our board can move beyond mere governance to become strategic, insightful leaders who ultimately drive better outcomes for every student in our district."
Schutte received the Award of Honor for completing a minimum of 15 hours of learning in one year and having at least two board members who earned Individual Achievement Awards. He earned this award along with 41 other superintendents.