Why is Leopold Southeast Missouri's top public school?

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Every parent but one.

That's the best statistic Leopold superintendent Derek Urhahn can think of when it comes to describing how close-knit his school district is: Every parent but one showed up for the most recent elementary parent-teacher conferences.

"Most schools are lucky to get 30 or 40 percent participation," said Urhahn. "We had 99 percent."

Ask Urhahn, ask the teachers, ask the students or the parents what makes their school district special, and parental support will be at the top of everyone's list.

Parental involvement and community support in general are what Urhahn attributes to the success of his small Bollinger County school district.

This year, Leopold ranked highest among 13 other local school districts in a Southeast Missourian analysis of the 2005 annual school report cards, released last week by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The report cards contain some 30 different indicators designed to give parents a look at how successful their child's school is. Each year, the Southeast Missourian compares the data from 12 of those indicators, including attendance and graduation rates, student/staff ratios and state test scores, to determine which district has the "best" report card.

The district's total enrollment is at 207 students this year and the facilities there are far from new, but there's no other place veteran teacher Jenny Nenninger would rather be.

"It's a combination of a lot of things, the atmosphere mainly," said Nenninger.

After 30-plus years of teaching there, Nenninger has no plans for retirement. She likes knowing not only her students' names, but also what activities they're involved in.

"There's more experiencing students' lives outside the classroom," she said. "My daughter teaches in St. Charles and she doesn't know who plays what sport or anything like that."

Nenninger brings each student a treat on their birthdays, like a Hostess cupcake with a tiny wax candle stuck in the top. And it's not a one way street. When her parents' died, Nenninger wasn't too surprised to see several students at the funerals in support of their teacher.

"I feel like I have the best job a person can have," she said. "There's the personal aspect of it. The students see us as people too."

Though smaller and often faced with fewer resources than larger schools, Leopold has a student/teacher ratio of 13:1 at the elementary and 15:1 at the high school levels, as well as a 95-percent graduation rate. Across Missouri, the statewide average is 19 students to every 1 classroom teacher with an 85.7 percent graduation rate.

In 2004-05, 90 percent of Leopold high school graduates went on to attend a two- or four-year college. Statewide, that figure was only 64.1 percent.

"Leopold is a small school, but we know we have the support of the community," said senior Jessica Vandeven. "Not much goes on here, but when it does, it's a big deal."

Veteran teachers like Nenninger and Deborah Beuter, who has also been at Leopold 30 years, keep the schools' average years of experience among teachers -- another factor in the school report cards -- around 13 years.

The average among schools in Southeast Missouri is 12.9 years of experience.

Beuter has taught first grade at Leopold for three decades in the same classroom, and she graduated from Leopold High School herself.

"I just didn't want to go anywhere else," said Beuter. "We care about each other here. Teachers care about students, and parents care about students."

Like any school, the district employees say they have their share of challenges. There's only a part-time librarian and music teacher, and regular teachers often have to perform extra duties that teachers in larger schools do not.

And of course, there are those occasional students who need help getting on track. But most of the students' parents and grandparents were also products of Leopold School District, which makes the unity even stronger.

Junior Corey Yount's grandfather, mother and five brothers all attended school there.

"I think it's our determination and work ethic that makes our academic program here so good," said Yount. "Plus, you know everybody and everyone gets along."

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128