RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. - A sea of blue pride flowed through downtown Russellville and filled the stands at the new high school track Friday in a Celebration of Academic Success.
The sidewalks were lined with parents and community members, as if it were the annual festival or Christmas parade.
Among them was Kim Larimore, whose sons Cameron and Conner were quite excited to be part of a parade, she said.
Fifth-grader Cameron understands the parade is the result of he and his schoolmates' scoring on their spring standardized testing, she said.
Three middle school students, who earned perfect scores, rode in open convertibles through the parade. Larimore said her sons likely will remember that when testing comes around again in the spring.
This event likely will inspire them to perform well, she said.
The 338 elementary and middle school students were welcomed by the high school student body lining both sides of Jefferson Street leading to the track.
Dignitaries were there to congratulate the school on its nearly perfect MSIP score.
Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro called Russellville a "shining example of commitment, hardwork and focus."
In 2013, the school earned 96.4 percent of the measure's possible points.
Nicastro called its 2014 results - 99.6 percent - "absolutely outstanding. To raise an already excellent score by three points is a tremendous achievement."
She specifically complimented the upper elementary students, whose results in college and career readiness gained four points.
"You are an example of what Missouri is trying to achieve for every school," Nicastro said.
State Supervisor Jay Reese commended the school for working as a team, not only within its district but also within its conference.
"Celebrate like crazy today ... start working to get better tomorrow," Reese concluded.
Rep. Mike Bernskoetter and Rep. David Wood both noted the value of parents and community involvement with Russellville's success.
Superintendent Jerry Hobbs said that just five years ago, the district was in the bottom one-third of all schools in the state. The next year they implemented Professional Learning Communities.
Last year, Russellville met Hobbs' original goal by landing in the top ten schools based on the MSIP annual performance.
A round of applause greeted his announcement that Russellville was Number Four among K-12 schools statewide this year.
The district's focus has shifted from "teacher instruction" to "student learning," Hobbs said.
"We've gone from visiting successful schools to having other school come to our school," he said.