Trio of local schools earn perfect state scores

Last week the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its Annual Performance Report for all districts in the state.

Three area schools received 100 percent of their total possible points this year: Kelso, Oran and Oak Ridge. It was the second year with a perfect score for Kelso while Oran and Oak Ridge have seen steady improvement over the last two years.

"That 100 percent APR score is a sign to our community that we are dedicated to our students and to making sure they have everything they need to be ready to enter into the world of work or further their education," Oran superintendent Blane Keel said.

Southeast Missourian reporter Bridget Brown wrote, "The performance report consists of five categories -- academic achievement, subgroup achievement, college and career readiness, attendance and graduation rate -- in which kindergarten through 12th-grade districts can score up to 140 points.

"The subgroup achievement category includes minority students and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Districts are required by the state to demonstrate improvement in student performance for subgroups."

We commend each of these districts for their excellence by Missouri's education standards.