For Immediate Release
November 18, 2007
Indian Prairie board member named recipient of the 2007
Thomas Lay Burroughs Award
Illinois State Board of Education
honors 16-year district school board member
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education
(ISBE) today presented Mark C. Metzger, school board
president for Indian Prairie Community Unit School District
204, with the 2007 Thomas Lay Burroughs Award. ISBE Chairman
Jesse H. Ruiz presented the annual award during the joint
annual conference of the Illinois Association of School
Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators
and Illinois Association of School Business Officials
in Chicago.
“On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education,
I congratulate Mark Metzger for his dedication and commitment
to serving as the Indian Prairie school board president
for 5 years of his 16-year service on the board,” said
Chairman Ruiz. “His leadership at both the local
and state level is commendable. He exemplifies what it
is to be an outstanding board president.”
Metzger was first elected to the school board in 1991
when the district had only 8,100 students in 10 different
schools. Today, Indian Prairie is the fourth largest
district in the state and serves more than 29,000 students
in 31 schools. In addition, Metzger mentors incoming
school board members by conducting training statewide.
He has also given numerous presentations on board service
and student learning on the state and national level.
"Indian Prairie is fortunate to have a leader like
Mark Metzger,” said Indian Prairie Superintendent Stephen
Daeschner. “Our entire community, especially our
students, have benefited greatly from Mark's commitment
to always doing what's best for children."
Last year, Metzger earned the National School Boards
Association’s Distinguished Service award. Since
1997, he has attained the recognition of being a ‘Master
Board Member’ from the Illinois Association of
School Boards (IASB). He was also elected vice-president
of the IASB in 2005. Metzger lives in Aurora with his
wife and three sons.
ISBE created the award in 1991 to honor Thomas Lay Burroughs,
who served as chairman of the State Board of Education
and the Board of Education for the Collinsville School
District. The award recognizes extraordinary educational
leadership at the local level, including leadership:
- on behalf of improved student learning and educational
excellence;
- in resolving
a crisis or major difficulty; and
- on behalf of equal
education opportunities.
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