The Highline School Board recognized last week 16 district teachers who have received their national board certification.

Superintendent John Welch noted that is four times the number that earned certification last year.

Eight of the educators are elementary school teachers while two teach in middle schools and six are high school instructors.

Highline now has 37 nationally certified teachers, Welch reported.

The educators earn certification through creation of a professional portfolio and a peer assessment of their teaching practice.

They are Jessica Apitz, Christie Brown, Jacque Decker, Amy Flanigan-Zadra, Marisa Gaalema, Ramona Grove, Maureen Kiely, Emily Lauer, Jolly Meloottu, Lauren Monroe, Megan Olson, Shauna Pierson, Kari Robins, Jacob Savishinsky, Kathy Webster and Nancy Weeks.

Board members also heard a report on building plans for the Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien.

The skills center, the state's oldest vocational high school, has not received major remodeling since 1985, according to principal Sue Shields.

She said the center anticipates receiving $22 million for capital projects.

The major planned development is a new human services building that will house the center's fire services and criminal justice programs, Shields noted.