Pattonville’s school-community relations department earned a Gold Medallion Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for the second year in a row. The Gold Medallion is NSPRA’s highest award and is the only national award that specifically recognizes comprehensive, strategic school public relations programs. This year, five Gold Medallion winners were selected from among 53 competitive entries by school PR programs across the United States. Pattonville earned the Gold Medallion in the area of COVID-19 communications.

Pattonville’s school-community relations department is comprised of Mickey Schoonover, director of school-community relations; Kelly Gordon, community relations specialist and secretary to the board of education; Brian Heyman, multimedia communications specialist; and Alexis Pick, administrative assistant to the superintendent and community relations.

This is the third time Pattonville’s school-community relations department earned the Gold Medallion. The department earned the award in 2020 for strategic, year-round communications and in 1985 for its internal staff two-way public relations program. Pattonville has had a formal communications program since 1965. The program has grown into a multifaceted, multimedia program that uses data to evaluate and improve its services to the school community. The department supports the district’s mission “That All Will Learn” by facilitating communication with internal and external audiences and building and maintaining relationships to continue Pattonville’s high level of community support and involvement.