STUDENTS ATTRACT IMPRESSIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

How good are our local schools?

One reflection of the high caliber of schools and students is the number of scholarships local seniors have been offered for college.

The figures are staggering.

Graduates from Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Notre Dame were offered more than $1 million combined in first-year scholarships. If you calculate these scholarships over four years -- since most are renewable -- the scholarship offers would grow to more than $3 million.

Granted, some students were offered a number of scholarships and will have to take their pick.

But the figures leave little doubt that the competition for top students is becoming stiff.

Jackson graduated 321 seniors with 4-year scholarship offers of $1.1 million. Cape Central's 274 received 4-year offers of $965,000. And Notre Dame's 77 seniors garnered $800,000 in 4-year scholarship offers.

Students, parents, teachers and the community should feel proud of the academic and athletic mastery that elicited such impressive scholarship offers.