Powell Middle School is in the spotlight for a rare honor, being named as a National Blue Ribbon School last week.

It’s tough to earn the distinction. Over the past four decades, only about 9,000 of the country’s 130,000-plus public and private schools — or less than 7% — have received one of the coveted blue ribbons.

Powell Middle School was exceptionally rare, as it was just one of five middle schools in the U.S. recognized as “exemplary high performing” for 2021, said Park County School District 1 Superintendent Jay Curtis. Landing the accomplishment required strong scores on state assessments for reading and math in 2018-19, and more.

“This is truly a testament to not only the hard work of our staff and students, but of the culture of high expectations and support that pervades that school,” said Curtis.

While the national award is a rare recognition, Powell residents could be forgiven for thinking it’s an easy one to earn: Over the past decade, Westside, Parkside and Southside elementary schools have all been named as National Blue Ribbon Schools as well.

However, we shouldn’t be taking this success for granted. For one thing, the multiple honors indicate that Park County School District 1 is doing a lot of things very well, over a long period of time and on multiple levels.

Powell Middle School Principal Kyle Rohrer noted that the school’s recent honor didn’t come together overnight, nor can it be attributed to any one individual.

“This award is the outcome of years of hard work and support from district administration, the school board, and the families in this great community,” Rohrer said. “Without the high level of support, our staff wouldn’t be able to deliver the high level of teaching and learning that happens on a daily basis at Powell Middle School.”

In addition to the roles that teachers, staff and parents play in a school’s success, the community at large plays a key role, too. For one thing, a community helps set the tone while providing important support.

Frankly, it seems as though the dialogue surrounding Wyoming’s public schools has grown much more shrill and political, with people quick to criticize when it comes to school districts’ handling of the pandemic, curriculum or other topics. Look at recent headlines across the state and you’ll find plenty of examples of rancorous school board meetings.

The discussions happening here and around the country are important — and taxpayers, parents, students, employees and other residents have a right to share how they feel about the decisions being made in their local school district. But it’s important to look beyond the hot button issues, too, or else we run the risk of missing the great, noncontroversial things that are happening in our schools on a daily basis.

Powell Middle School is hosting a public celebration of its National Blue Ribbon School award on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 2:15 p.m. Whether attending in person or in spirit, we hope community members take some time to celebrate the achievement, because we all play a part in helping our schools succeed.