DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - How well are your kids doing in high school math and biology? What about US History? If they're students in DeSoto County, they're probably getting A's in all of those. Not only is the school district the state's largest, its students are some of the smartest. They're outperforming every other district in the state.
"We do not accept being mediocre. We expect to do well," said Ryan Kuykendall, DeSoto's director of accountability and research.
They're called "Star" schools, and DeSoto County shines the brightest in the state. Students at 10 of the county's 28 eligible schools are testing at the highest level.
"We really enjoy the fact that we can say we're part of a Star school," said Emily Rhea, a senior at DeSoto Central High School.
"People don't always as think of Mississippi schools as being competitive and hard working," student Ricky Johnson told abc24.com. "It's nice to see DeSoto Central working hard to get the highest scores they can get."
Rhea and Johnson have taken the tests the last three years and for the last three years, Desoto Central has ranked at the top. Students are tested on Algebra, English, US History and Biology.
"It's a team effort. We have to have all our teachers on board with it," said DeSoto Central principal Cory Uselton.
"It's a lot of pressure," said Rhea. "You study for a whole semester leading up to that one test."
Students are required to pass the tests to graduate, but Rhea says the reason they do so well comes down to attitude. DeSoto's teachers and students take pride in being the best.
"Because you know it's a representation of the school as well as the county and the state. You always want to do your best," Rhea told abc24.com.
"They don't have the attitude of I just need to pass the test," said Uselton. "They're striving for excellence. That's the reason our school is so successful."
Only eleven high schools in the state have achieved Star status three years in a row.
