We believe everyone can learn and achieve at high levels given appropriate instruction, support,  and relationships

*********News Release*********

Mabton School District
Announces NEW 2010-2011Superintendent of Schools

The Mabton School Board is pleased to announce that it has selected Minerva Morales as its 2010-2011 superintendent.  Please join us in welcoming her to the Mabton School District!  We look forward to having her aboard in the upcoming school year.

We believe she will be an excellent fit for Mabton.  Minerva brings with her 20 years of experience in public education. She has been a teacher, principal intern, director of state and federal programs, superintendent intern, and currently is the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Grandview School District.

In addition to her experience, she is a Yakima Valley native, so she is very familiar with the culture and issues of our students and families.  The board believes she will be a good addition to the District, and is the right fit to help us achieve the district’s goals and objectives in improving student achievement and partnering with our families and community.

On behalf of the board, thank you very much to everyone for helping us with the selection process and in welcoming Minerva to our district!

Respectfully,
Mabton School Board

DISTRICT OVERVIEW
Mabton is located in the fertile Yakima Valley approximately 43 miles southeast of Yakima, Washington, and 45 miles west of the Tri-Cities. It is in the heart of the state’s hops, and grape-growing region.  Mabton is, home to a variety of crops including apples, grapes for a rapidly expanding wine industry, hops, asparagus, sweet corn, and cherries. It has easy access to outdoor recreation including snow skiing in the winter and water sports on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the summer. Mabton developed into a town when the Northern Pacific Railway arrived in the area around 1884. The first store and post office opened in 1892. By 1904, it had more than a dozen businesses and a newspaper. The town of Mabton was officially incorporated in 1905. Today, residents are primarily employed in agriculture.

The Mabton School District serves more than 1,000 mostly Hispanic students. Nearly one-third of the students are from migrant families, a situation that requires exceptional skill and commitment from both teachers and administrators.
   
The district was one of the early grantees of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Grants included the following:

• $558,000 over five years (2000–2005) to enhance student access to technology
• $400,000 renewed grant over four years from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2005–2009)
• Over $40,000 in five years (2001–2006) to improve high school education and access to higher education
• Over $125,000 over 34 months (2001–2004) to support professional development programs in partnership with Heritage College

In addition, Mabton High School was one of 16 high schools chosen in 2001 to participate in the Washington State Achievers Program; the school gets a share of a grant to support school improvement and redesign efforts and for college scholarships for its students.

The district provides a variety of services to teachers, administrators, students, and parents. Among these are the following:

• Professional leadership coaching
• Student advisories at high school, middle school, and elementary school
• Senior portfolios
• GEAR UP - One Valley One Vision - is a program for students and support for parents.  READY! For Kindergarten is an educational program for parents of children infant to 5 years old.

To ensure opportunities are available to all students to go to college, the graduation requirements of the district are being aligned with college entrance requirements. The district has also committed to expanding AP courses throughout the system.