SCHOOLS MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT

In an era when blaming our nation's public education system for the country's ills is all too common, it's nice to see public schools in Cape Girardeau's suburban areas posting substantial enrollment gains.

The official student count required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, taken on the last Wednesday of September, showed Scott City schools with a remarkable 5.3 percent enrollment gain.

Jackson continued its decade-long enrollment boom with a 1.6 percent increase. That district is sure to post more gains as the school year continues and more people discover the area's charms.

Oak Ridge schools reached a whopping 364 students -- at least it was whopping for them. And Kelly schools in rural Benton hit a record 1,069 students.

Scott City superintendent Roger Tatum says he's happy about the gain in his district, but he's not sure why his schools did so well, leading the pack in enrollment increases.

Maybe he just doesn't want to brag.

It's obvious that parents are impressed with the way of life offered by the communities of our region. And that way of life includes schools where they're confident their children will receive a quality education.

People have come to associate the Jackson, Oak Ridge, Benton and Scott City-area schools with kind, caring teachers and close-knit graduating classes. Certainly, that was evident at Scott City High School last month when the death of senior Jessica Arnzen brought her classmates closer together and the school opened its doors for her wake.

Is that to say school districts with stable or declining numbers are troubled? Certainly not.

Population shifts, housing costs and a variety of other reasons can cause such a trend. Americans are more willing to commute to work, enabling them to live outside of more populated areas.

But congratulations to teachers and administrators in the growing districts. Obviously, parents want what you have.

And it would be nice to think that when that growth creates a need for additional or improved school buildings, those same parents will be there to support you.