Quincy School Board Named Grant County Regional Board of the Year
North Central ESD recognizes the board’s leadership, collaboration and commitment to innovation in education
The Quincy School Board was recognized this week with a distinction that reflects years of work behind the scenes. During the board’s regular meeting, leaders from the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) presented the Quincy School Board with the Grant County Regional Board of the Year Award, recognizing its leadership and service to students across the 98848.
North Central ESD Superintendent Dr. Michelle Price presented the award in person, praising the board for its commitment to students, its willingness to embrace innovation, and its leadership in helping shape the future of education in Washington.
A Regional Recognition
The North Central Educational Service District serves school districts throughout North Central Washington by providing shared educational services, professional development, special education support, technology assistance and other resources that individual districts often cannot provide alone. Each year, the organization recognizes school boards whose leadership has made a meaningful impact within their region.
While presenting the award, Dr. Price highlighted the Quincy School Board’s dedication to its mission and core values, along with its collaborative approach to governance. She also pointed to the district’s work integrating artificial intelligence into education, noting that Quincy has become a model for districts across Washington.
“You are leading the way across not only our state, but the nation,” Price told the board, recognizing both the policies and the supporting infrastructure the district has developed to help teachers thoughtfully incorporate AI into lesson planning and classroom instruction.
That recognition echoes reporting we covered earlier this year in Life in the 98848 in our story, “Quincy Schools Are Leaning into AI and They’re Doing It the Right Way,” which examined how district leadership has focused on implementing artificial intelligence responsibly while keeping teaching and student learning at the center of every decision.
More Than One Board Member
Although the award was presented to the elected board, Dr. Price emphasized that the recognition reflects a much larger team effort.
She credited the partnership between board members, district leadership and staff, noting that meaningful progress only happens when everyone is working toward the same goals. Board members echoed that sentiment during the presentation, acknowledging that the accomplishments recognized by NCESD would not have been possible without the work of district administrators, teachers and employees throughout Quincy Schools.
That emphasis on collaboration has become a recurring theme in the district over the past several years, particularly as Quincy has tackled rapid enrollment growth, expanded educational opportunities and explored new ways to prepare students for the future.
What This Means to You
Awards like Regional Board of the Year may not directly change what happens in a classroom tomorrow morning, but they do offer outside validation of the work taking place inside the Quincy School District.
For families across the 98848, the recognition signals that the decisions being made locally are earning the respect of educational leaders throughout the region. It also reinforces Quincy’s growing reputation as a district willing to invest in innovation while keeping students at the center of its work.
As communities across Washington continue to navigate changing technology, workforce demands and educational expectations, Quincy is increasingly being looked to as an example of how local leadership can thoughtfully guide that process.
A Moment Worth Celebrating
School board service is largely volunteer work that often happens outside the public spotlight. Meetings, policy discussions and long-term planning rarely make headlines, yet they shape many of the decisions that affect students, families and educators every day.
The presentation from Dr. Michelle Price offered a rare opportunity to pause and recognize that work. For the Quincy School Board, being named Grant County Regional Board of the Year is not simply an award for a single accomplishment, but recognition of sustained leadership and collaboration. It is also another reminder that the work happening here in the 98848 continues to draw attention well beyond our community.
