Twenty-eight south Alabama school board members will be among 317 board members honored statewide this month at the Alabama Association of School Boards’ Dec. 5-7 annual convention, for advancing to a new level in the AASB School Board Member Academy.

The education leaders were recognized for their efforts to improve their boardmanship skills, increase their understanding of education issues and heighten their leadership skills by participating in the academy.

The academy, an ongoing “school for school board members” founded in 1986, has four achievement levels based on the number of credit hours board members earn by attending conferences and workshops in eight key areas: roles and responsibilities; policy and planning; financial accountability; the optimal learning environment; academic achievement; staff development; effective boards and relationships; and community engagement. Board members who complete the academy’s four levels and continue their commitment to training can earn the distinction Master School Board Member. AASB’s academy year runs from July 1 to June 30.

The Escambia County members and the levels they achieved are:

• Level I (Requires 25 training hours) — Mike Edwards and the Rev. Dr. Coleman Wallace.

• Level II (Requires 50 training hours) — Danny Benjamin.

• Level III (Requires 75 training hours) — Sherry Digmon and Cynthia Jackson.

• Master Level (Requires Level IV plus 15 hours, including one additional core course) — Michael Goolsby.

The year’s academy training courses covered such topics as fiscal accountability, good governance, student achievement, communication, community engagement, staff development, vision/planning, technology and decision-making.