NELL HOLCOMB DISTRICT ACHIEVES HIGH MARKS

Administrators, teachers, students and parents in the Nell Holcomb School District have a good deal to cheer. The Missouri Board of Education has given the district the highest rating possible under the Missouri School Improvement Program.

This achievement is particularly noteworthy, because the district's last review in 1991 pointed out some deficiencies, resulting in provisional accreditation. State evaluators were impressed with the steps the district has taken to overcome those shortcomings -- and then some.

The district serves an area north of Cape Girardeau along the Mississippi River. Its school on Highway 177 serves students up to the eighth grade. After that, students in the Nell Holcomb district can choose to attend public high schools in Cape Girardeau or Jackson as well as private schools.

Although the district is small by today's standards, it has demonstrated that a dedication to educational excellence is achievable regardless of size. Superintendent David Fuemmeler and his staff and faculty should be proud of their efforts to attain the highest standards.