[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18082]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      BOARD OF EDUCATION, NIXA, MISSOURI, PEGGY TAYLOR, PRESIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ROY BLUNT

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
leaders dedicated to the education of our youth in southwest Missouri. 
At a time when many school systems are struggling to provide a quality 
education, these civil servants have settled for nothing less than 
excellence in preparing our students in southwest Missouri for the 
future.
  The Missouri School Boards' Association has selected the Nixa R-II 
Board of Education as the State of Missouri's Outstanding Board of 
Education for 2004. This decision was made by a committee of school 
board members from among 524 districts. It is the second time that 
Nixa's school board has received this honor, demonstrating their 
unwavering commitment to education in our community.
  The Nixa School Board, chaired by Peggy Taylor, has successfully 
lobbied local, state, and federal officials for continuing support of 
educational goals. Their leadership contributed to the lives of Nixa 
students in five general areas of significance: school district 
accreditation, community engagement, improved student achievement, 
success with school district goals and local board initiatives. Through 
their dedication and relentless pursuit of the goals placed before 
them, this school board has called attention to the strength of the 
education system in the Seventh Congressional District of Missouri.
  Additionally, the school board has built overall trust and encouraged 
effective communication between the Nixa RII School Administration and 
the community. The District Superintendent, Steven Kleinsmith, 
attributes much of the school district's success to the high 
expectation that the Board of Education placed on itself and sought 
from others. Success, such as a perfect score on Missouri's Annual 
Performance Review conducted by the Department of Elementary and 
Secondary Education and earning the State of Missouri's highest 
accreditation possible, ``Accredited with Distinction for 
Performance,'' demonstrate a demand for superior education and 
represents the quality of our public schools in southwest Missouri.
  Today is a great day for the city of Nixa, the Nixa RII School 
System, and its Board of Education. I am proud to salute their 
leadership as an example for us all.

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