Leopold ranks No. 1 again in Southeast Missourian analysis of area schools

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Leopold schools are modest. Floors are bare cement, wood paneling adorns the walls, and window air-conditioning units jut out from the aluminum siding of the high school.

Driving from Cape Girardeau, one might get lost if following directions from the Internet. They take you on dirt roads. The unincorporated Bollinger County hamlet is so small the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site doesn't recognize the name.

Yet year after year, the district puts itself on the map for its quality of schools. For the third year in a row, the district has scored the highest in the Southeast Missourian's analysis of school district report cards, data released from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education each December.

Out of 13 districts in Southeast Missouri, Leopold scored the best in attendance rates, student-to-teacher ratio, teacher experience, students' state test scores and number of suspensions.

The district also scored high in the ACT category, notable because 100 percent of graduates took the test, compared to percentages as low as 38 percent elsewhere.

Molly Brotherton, a senior at Leopold High School, took attendance before a Beta Club meeting Tuesday. (Aaron Eisenhauer)

With an enrollment of 202 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the district is the smallest of those compared by the Southeast Missourian.

Often small, rural districts are publicly perceived as inferior to larger or more sophisticated schools, making Leopold stand out as not only outperforming other rural schools but districts 20 times its size.

However, the notion of urban superiority has been disputed by researchers. A 2005 George Washington University study found "little evidence of an overall rural achievement gap in the U.S.," especially once socioeconomic status is taken into account.

A much bigger indicator of student achievement is poverty levels, research has shown, as low-income families typically have a harder time providing educational resources and experiences for their children.

Advantage, disadvantage

Leopold has the lowest percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches out of the 13 districts, possibly giving it an advantage.

But a different picture emerges when considering median household income, using data from the Missouri Census Data Center based on the 2000 U.S. Census.

Seven out of the 13 districts have higher median household incomes than Leopold does, a signal that perhaps more students in Leopold are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches but opt not to participate.

With such a small population, the area has a small economy -- a grocery store, two transmission services and several construction companies. Most people drive the 30 miles east to Cape Girardeau for work.

But likewise, a majority of the Leopold teaching staff drive up to an hour to work in the schools, a cluster of three buildings near the center of town.

Although the teachers are the most seasoned with 14.4 years of experience, they are also the second-lowest paid of the 13 districts, receiving $32,808 on average.

"No teachers get into teaching for the salary," Leopold history teacher Ted LeGrand said.

Teachers said they are attracted to the district because of the level of parental support, the rarity of discipline issues and the work ethic of the students.

A community's impact

So how does Leopold achieve such success with fewer resources than others? Teachers, students and education experts alike point to the high level of community support.

"Parents send students ready to learn and the community is behind us all the way. They support us in everything we do," said fifth-grade teacher Kathy Nanney.

Support includes more than showing up at the obligatory parent-teacher conference. Parents in Leopold attend science fairs, pack gyms for sporting events and volunteer at the school, Nanney said.

"If I have a problem with a child in class, I can rest assured I will be backed up at home," LeGrand said.

Dr. Julie Ray, an associate professor of education, talks to her students at Southeast Missouri State University about the concept of "social capital," something Ray thinks may contribute to Leopold's achievement.

Social capital is the networks and relationships that exist between people that bring social cohesion; schools with a lot of social capital tend to be higher achieving. While the concept is often associated with parochial schools, it exists in public schools as well, Ray said.

"Students know if they get in trouble at school or don't do their homework or skip classes, that not only will they be in trouble with their parents and teacher, but also their priest or pastor, their Sunday School teacher, their friend's parents, etc. There is this big social network supporting student learning, beyond the efforts of the individual teacher or parent," Ray wrote in an e-mail.

Leopold is predominately Catholic, and unlike many surrounding rural areas, most people in the town attend the same church, St. John's, something the Rev. Bill Huggins said contributes to the unity of the town.

Community is fostered in the classroom because students remain in the same class through their sophomore year. In seventh grade, they begin rotating teachers but as a group. As juniors, they have their choice of electives, such as Spanish.

Challenges

No Advanced Placement courses are offered, but students have the option of dual enrollment with Southeast or taking AP classes online through the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program.

There is also no gifted program, and some of the school's textbooks date to the 1990s.

"You can see the facilities are older, but they're clean, and students appreciate what we have and take care of it," said superintendent Derek Urhahn, who is also the co-sponsor of the Beta Club and the athletic director.

Urhahn attributes the district's success to parental involvement and how seriously students take school, saying a friendly but competitive atmosphere is fostered. Four of the 17 seniors are tied for valedictorian.

The district doesn't place much of an effort on state test preparation because, Urhahn said, anything on the test is covered in the curriculum. Seniors Cassie Seiler and Desiree Arnzen couldn't remember any specific practice for Missouri Assessment Program testing.

Coming and going

Some parents are willing to pay or move for the quality of the education in Leopold.

Last March the district made the news when the state investigated whether Leopold was illegally enrolling students who didn't reside in the district. As a result, some families moved to be within the boundaries, and about 25 families now pay tuition, Urhahn said.

Arnzen said she will be sad to leave Leopold when she graduates.

"I am going to miss having such a close relationship with everyone," said Arnzen, who plans to attend Murray State University. "You can actually talk to the teachers, whether it is about school, work or life."

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123